Freedom
by Pallas
Summary: Liason This story begins in February 2001 after Elizabeth tells Jason that they can no longer be friends.
1. Chapter One

"Come on Elizabeth, show me sexy…" 

Elizabeth turned her body to the side, peering over her shoulder to look at Lucky as he clicked away with his camera. Each time the shutter flickered, she held her breath, waiting for the lights around her to flash. The lights were blinding and a migraine was beginning to form behind her eyes. 

Modeling was the last thing she wanted to be doing, but no one seemed to listen to her whenever she voiced her feelings. 

Except for Jason. > 

With a soft sigh, Elizabeth frowned to herself, trying to push the thought of Jason Morgan out of her mind. 

"Elizabeth," Lucky called out from behind the camera. "I said sexy, not sad. Put a teasing smile on that beautiful face of yours, I'm almost done with this roll." 

Another sigh escape Elizabeth's lips. "Lucky, can I have a break? I need to-" 

"I'm almost done. Twenty more shots and then we can pack up for today." He ignored the fact that he had just interrupted her and turned towards the makeup assistant standing off to the side. "I'm getting a little glare on her forehead, can you fix that up?" 

Frowning again, Elizabeth scrunched up her nose as a pile of power was brushed onto her face. Her skin felt like it was suffocating. 

SHE felt like she was suffocating. 

"Lucky, please. I need… just a few minutes." 

"Elizabeth-" 

"Please. Just a few minutes. I just want to stand outside for a minute." 

"Fine, fine… I need to change the set anyway." 

Stepping away from the bright lights, Elizabeth reached out for her coat, quickly wrapping her scarf around her neck, careful not to ruin her hair or makeup. As she walked towards the door, Lucky grabbed her arm, pulling her towards him. 

"Just a few minutes out there, ok? We don't want you getting sick. We've got a lot of shoots planned for the next few weeks." He leaned forward and kissed her neck lightly, not wanting to mess up her makeup. 

"Ok," Elizabeth mumbled as she slowly pulled her arm out of Lucky's grasp. She watched him for a moment before making her way towards the door that led outside. 

Pulling the heavy door closed behind her, Elizabeth breathed in deeply, lifting her face to the sky. Spring was just around the corner but the air was still cold enough that she could see her breath in front of her when she exhaled. 

Elizabeth look down at herself and frowned, something she'd been doing a lot of lately. She could barely recognize herself anymore. All she wanted was for Lucky to be proud of her and for him to be happy. 

And in the process, she was losing sight of who she really was. 

"It shouldn't be like this," Elizabeth whispered to herself. Tears threatened to fall and she blinked rapidly in order to keep them from falling. If she cried, her makeup would have to be redone and that would only lead to Lucky asking questions she couldn't answer. 

Why wasn't she happy? 

Why wasn't she excited? 

Why did she miss Jason so much? 

Leaning against the door to the photography studio, Elizabeth crossed her arms over her chest as she tried to think of an answer to that last question. 

Telling Jason they couldn't be friends had been one of the hardest things she'd ever done. He was her strength – the one person who truly listened to her. He never judged her. He made her feel like she could live her life the way she wanted to. He made her feel free… 

…And she had given all of that up. For love. For her love for Lucky. 

Lucky was her soul mate. He was her one true love. He was her other half. Jason was just her friend. She could live without friends… she couldn't live without Lucky. Closing her eyes, Elizabeth exhaled forcefully. 

"Then why do I feel so incomplete?" 

* * *

Heaving a heavy sigh, Jason shifted from foot to foot as he waited for the elevator to make its way up to the second floor. He held a folder in his hand and he absently tapped in against his thigh as he waited. 

_"When you love someone you do what they need, even if it hurts you, and I love Lucky."_

Elizabeth's words rang in his head. He remembered everything about that night. From the happiness he felt when they joked around and played pool to the feeling he got, it was as if he'd been punched, when she walked away from him. 

They couldn't be friends anymore. That's what she said she wanted, that's what she said would be for the best. 

But it wasn't, and he knew that. 

Jason shook his head, trying to push all thoughts of Elizabeth out of his mind as the elevator doors opened. It was useless. She was always in his thoughts. She had been for a while. 

When Sonny had called him and told him someone was after his family, it had been Jason who suggested the plan… the plan that would bring him back to Port Charles. He had wanted to help his friend… but another part of him wanted to be back for Elizabeth. 

Sighing, Jason stepped out of the elevator and made his way towards Sonny's penthouse, nodding a Johnny as the bodyguard opened the door, announcing him. He needed to stop thinking about Elizabeth for the moment. He had business to do and there was nothing he could do right now about Elizabeth anyway. She had made her decision and as much as he hated, he would stay away. 

Because she asked him to. 

"What is it?" Sonny asked, calling out from his kitchen. 

"Business," Jason yelled back. 

A moment later Sonny came out, wiping his hands on a dishcloth. "What's up?" 

Pausing, Jason tried to think of the easiest way to say what he had to say. He knew the second he made the request that Sonny would have questions for him and he knew he wouldn't have answers for a lot of those questions. 

"What is it, Jason?" Sonny prompted. It wasn't like Jason to hesitate like this. 

"I want you to put a guard on Elizabeth Webber." 

Sonny's eyebrows raised. "Is she being threatened again? I know Sorel's in jail but he still has loyal followers…" 

"She… she's not being threatened… I just want… can you do it, Sonny?" 

"Yeah, yeah… are you going to tell me what's going on?" 

"She can't know about the guard," Jason said, forcefully pushing air between his lips. "I want her guard to stay out of sight at all times… I just want him there to make sure nothing happens to her. I'd do it myself but-" Jason stopped short and closed his eyes, shaking it slightly. He sighed to himself, waiting for the question he knew Sonny was going to ask. 

"You'd do it yourself… but? But what?" 

Jason licked his lips, leaning against Sonny's desk as he rubbed his cheek with his palm. "Ahh… Elizabeth asked me… she says we can't be friends anymore. Her and Lucky are having problems and he… it's difficult for her… she thinks she can make him happy by not being my friend." 

Sonny's eyebrows furrowed as he walked towards his bar, pouring himself a scotch. He poured a glass of water for Jason and held it out to him before speaking. "How would you not being Elizabeth's friend make Lucky happy?" 

Taking a long sip of water, Jason peered into the glass while speaking. "Elizabeth kept the fact that I was in town from Lucky and when he found out, he got angry." 

A small smile came to Sonny's face. "You mean jealous." 

"I don't know what he's feeling and I don't want to. All I know is that he gets angry and starts telling Elizabeth who she can and cannot be friends with and… and they fight. And that hurts her." He paused, finishing his water before setting the glass down. "She asked me to stay away… I'll do that. But I want her safe, Sonny. That's why I need you to put a guard on her for me." 

Sonny nodded slowly, keeping his gaze locked on his best friends. "You care about her…" 

"She's my friend," Jason said, moving closer to the door. 

"Just your friend?" 

Jason paused for a minutes before turning to look Sonny straight in the eye. "Keep her safe Sonny… I need for her to be safe." 

* * *

The visitor room of the Port Charles Police station was silent except for the two men in the corner. As Joseph Sorel leaned forward in his chair, the door to his left opened. A man slowly made his way towards Sorel. 

"Is it set?" Sorel asked quietly as he hugged the man, acting as if the man were a family member and not someone who worked for him. 

"Is has all been planned out," the man said, nodding slightly. 

"Good." Sorel look at the man, letting the faint traces of a grin come to his face. "Morgan and Corinthos will pay for what they have done… I want no mistakes. They have to pay." 

[Chapter Two][1]   
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	2. Chapter Two

The door to the studio slowly opened and Elizabeth wearily stepped inside. She was exhausted. Her feet hurt from standing on them for so long, her face hurt from smiling for hours, and deep inside, her heart hurt. 

With a soft sigh, she closed the door behind her and kicked off her shoes, making a beeline for the couch. Pulling the blanket that hung off of the couch, she wrapped it around herself. Elizabeth frowned slightly when she inhaled. Lucky had been laying on it the night before and she could still smell his spicy cologne in the fabric. It was so strong that it almost felt as if Lucky had his arms around her. 

She didn't want it to feel like Lucky was holding her. 

As soon as that thought crossed her mind, Elizabeth frowned, shaking her head at herself. Guilt started to seep into her body, threatening to overwhelm her. Rubbing her face with her hands, Elizabeth looked down at the makeup that was now caked on her palms. Sighing, she wiped her hands on her pants and settled, laying down on the couch. Her gaze caught the painting of The Wind on her display easel and a faint smile came to her lips. 

She hadn't painted since she'd been named the Face of Deception. It was getting to her because painting was her release, and she was in desperate need of a release right about now. 

Looking at the paining, knowing it belonged to Jason, seemed to give her strength. Almost as much strength as Jason himself gave her. 

"I need to tell Lucky what I'm feeling," Elizabeth mumbled to herself. She looked over at the paining once more before settling back into the couch. 

"Tomorrow… I'll talk to him tomorrow." 

Closing her eyes, Elizabeth drifted to sleep, thoughts of motorcycle rides, the wind, and piercing blue eyes swirling around in her head. 

An hour later, Elizabeth groaned as she brought her hand up to her face to wipe the sleep out of her eyes. The overhead light in her studio was glaring down at her and the couch was lumpy and uncomfortable. 

How did Jason stand sleeping on this thing? > 

Standing up, she stretched, grabbed her jacket, and made her way out of the studio. All she wanted was to get to Kelly's, get into her bed, and fall back asleep again. 

It was late and long past sunset by the time Elizabeth got down to the docks. Looking around, Elizabeth hugged herself, tightening her jacket around her body in a vain effort to get warm. 

There was a sound of footsteps off to her right and Elizabeth jerked her head up, trying to see who was coming. Fear flooded her stomach for a second before she clamped down on it, forcing herself to begin breathing again. The footsteps got closer and Elizabeth instinctively backed up. 

"Elizabeth?" 

At the sound of Jason's voice, Elizabeth calmed, exhaling shakily. Jason jogged down the stairs towards the docks and walked up to her, bending his knees slightly and his head lowering so that he could look her in the eye. 

"Elizabeth?" he repeated. "Are you ok?" 

Bringing her hand up to her heart, Elizabeth nodded, giving him a smile. "Yeah… I'm fine. You just scared me there for a second, Jason. I thought you were someone else." 

Jason looked around. "Who?" 

Shaking her head, Elizabeth shivered. "No one. I just thought… I heard footsteps and I didn't know who it was." 

Watching her movements closely, Jason studied her. "The docks can be dangerous," he said slowly, his eyes instinctively scanning the area. "Are you going to Kelly's? I'll walk you there." 

Smiling, Elizabeth shook her head. "You don't have to do that, Jason. You're going the opposite way. I'll be fine." 

Raising his eyebrows, Jason shrugged his shoulders, looked over to the direction of Kelly's and frowned. "You mean Lucky's waiting for you." 

Elizabeth shook her head. "No it's…" She stopped, not sure of how to continue. Jason stood in front of her, giving her the time she needed to voice her thoughts. 

"I'm supposed to be staying away from you," she explained, moving to sit down on a bench. Unsure of what to do, Jason hesitated for a moment before following, sitting down as she continued talking. 

"I know we just ran into each other tonight on accident, but if Lucky found out, he wouldn't understand. He'd think that we planned this. And if he sees you walking me to Kelly's…" 

Elizabeth look up at him, her brown eyes pleading, hoping he understood what she was saying. 

Taking a deep breath, Jason looked out towards the water before speaking. "You can't help it if we run into each other on the docks and neither can I. You said it yourself." He turned away from the water to look at her. "We ran into each other. You're blaming yourself like you did something wrong. You didn't." 

Elizabeth's eyebrows furrowed and reached out for Jason's hand, dropping it when she felt a jolt of electricity between them at the slight touch. "Jason… this is hard for me, you know that, right? I'm supposed to be staying away from you. I'm supposed to not care… I don't like having to pretend I don't care about you." 

"You don't have to pretend with me." 

Elizabeth held his gaze until she felt tears threaten. Looking down, she fumbled with her scarf before looking back up at Jason, smiling slightly. "Walk me to Kelly's?" 

Standing, Elizabeth held out her hand for Jason to take when he remained silent. "I don't want to pretend anymore, Jason…. Please?" 

The corners of Jason's mouth curved up as he reached out to grab her hand. He interlocked his hand with hers, letting her pull him towards Kelly's. 

The walk to Kelly's was relatively short and the two made the journey in a comfortable silence. When they reached Kelly's, Elizabeth turned, smiling up at Jason. 

"Too bad you don't have your bike with you. But then again, it's kind of cold." 

Jason smiled. "I'll say. Your nose is red." 

Laughing, Elizabeth covered her nose with her hand. "Thank you for making sure I got home ok." 

Nodding, Jason motioned towards the doors of Kelly's. "You'd better get inside before you go numb." 

Looking through the windows of the darkened diner, Elizabeth sighed. "I hate this, Jason. You're my friend. I want you in my life…" She started pacing, wishing he could tell her what to do, tell her how to make this right. "I want to make Lucky happy…" 

Jason followed her movement, catching her arm when she walked in front of him so that she would look at him. "Why don't you worry about making yourself happy?" 

She looked down at where he held her arm and tears of frustration welled in her eyes. "I love Lucky. Doing what would make me happy… would hurt him." 

Swallowing hard, Jason kept his eyes locked on her. "What would make you happy?" he whispered. 

Elizabeth look up and a single tear fell from her eyes. "You." 

Another tear fell as she tried to explain. "I like spending time with you. You make me laugh… and I can talk to you. I like having you in my life." Wiping at her eyes, Elizabeth began pacing again, trying to get herself to stop crying. "I like going fast with you. You see life so differently than me. I like hearing about how you see things…" With every word she said, more tears fell from her eyes. 

"Elizabeth…" Jason's voice broke as he called out to her, stopping her movement. She looked up at him and her brown eyes locked onto his blue ones. Reaching out, he grabbed for her hand, pulling her closer to him. 

Wordlessly, Elizabeth walked into his open arms, letting him hold her as she snuggled closer to the comfort he offered her, getting lost in the feel of Jason's arms around her, holding her, giving her strength. 

* * *

"Elizabeth?" 

Lucky knocked on Elizabeth's door at Kelly's once more, placing his ear closer to the door to see if he could hear her moving around inside. He sighed when she didn't answer, reaching into his pocket for his keys. 

"She's probably asleep…" 

Opening the door, he peeked inside. Anger immediately swelled in his chest when he looked around the still room. Her bed was empty, still perfectly made. Walking inside, Lucky held his breath as he looked around. 

Elizabeth wasn't there. 

"No…" Lucky whispered to himself. "She's not… she can't be with him… she can't be." 

Storming out of the room, Lucky slammed the door shut after him as he ran down the stairs. Kelly's was dark and he blindly moved past the tables, jerking the door open. The second he stepped out of the diner, he stopped in his tracks, shock forcing his jaw to drop open. 

"What the HELL is going on?" 

[Chapter Three][1]   
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	3. Chapter Three

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion as soon as Lucky's angry voice rang out. Elizabeth turned, pulling out of Jason's arms, her eyes widening slightly when she saw Lucky's angry glare. 

"What do you think you're doing?" Lucky asked, moving closer to his girlfriend and Jason. He shook his head in disbelief as he fixed his gaze on Elizabeth. "What happened to staying away from him?" 

Elizabeth took a step away from Jason. "Lucky, I can explain. We ran into each other…" 

Lucky ignored her, turned his attention to Jason. "You need to stop, Jason. Elizabeth is MINE." 

Jason's gaze was unreadable. "Elizabeth is her own person. No one owns her." 

Lucky snorted, shaking his head. "I should have guessed you'd say something like that. You'd say anything to make yourself look better in front of her." 

"Lucky," Elizabeth interjected. 

"I'm sick of this," Lucky continued, taking a step closer to Jason. "You want Elizabeth, I know you do. Well, I'm here to tell you, right here, right now, that you can't have her." 

Elizabeth tried again, this time pulling on Lucky's arm. "Please, Lucky. Don't do this." 

Again, Lucky ignored her. "Stay away from her, Jason. I don't want you anywhere near her." 

Jason crossed his arms over his chest. "You don't get to tell me who I can spend time with. You may think you can do that to Elizabeth, but not to me." 

Lucky's eyes narrowed in anger. "You…" 

"LUCKY!" Elizabeth called out, pulling on his arm until he stepped away from Jason. 

"Stop protecting him!" Lucky yelled, jerking his arm out of her grasp. "He's after you, Elizabeth. Why can't you see that?" 

Elizabeth turned towards Jason in desperation. As long as he was there, it would be impossible for her to talk to Lucky. "Jason, thank you for making sure I got home safely." 

Nodding, Jason took a step backwards, knowing that what she just said was her way of asking him to leave. He held her gaze for a second, letting her know that he understood what she was saying. 

Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth watched Jason until he disappeared before turning her attention back to Lucky. Pulling out a chair on one of the outside tables, she took a seat. 

"It's cold out here, Elizabeth," Lucky said, his voice tight as he took a step towards the door to Kelly's. "Let's going inside." 

Elizabeth took a deep breath, pulling out the chair next to her. "I need to talk to you Lucky. Now." 

Lucky frowned. "Out here?" 

"Please, Lucky?" 

Sighing, Lucky stepped away from the door and slid into the seat next to Elizabeth, waiting for her to speak. 

Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth began talking. "Jason and I ran into each other on the docks on accident." 

"Nothing dealing with Jason happens on accident," Lucky cut in harshly. 

Elizabeth looked up at him. "Lucky please…" 

Shaking his head, Lucky snorted. "Why is it so hard for you to stay away from him?" 

Brushing a piece of her hair out of her face, Elizabeth looked down at her hands. "After the fire… I was… I didn't know how to move on. Everyone around me tried to help, tried to make me feel better." Her voice wavered as her emotions threatened to overflow. "They were so worried about me… Grams, Nikolas, Emily, Bobbie… they were upset with themselves because they didn't know how to make me feel better." 

Wiping at her eyes, Elizabeth silently urged herself to continue. She needed to be honest with Lucky. They had never talked about the fire like this and she needed to tell him everything if he was ever going to understand how her and Jason had become friends. 

"I was broken, Lucky," she whispered. She cleared her throat, forcing more strength into her voice. "I didn't know how to fix it. But Jason helped me. He listened to me. He didn't tell me that everything was going to be ok like everyone else did. I was broken, and Jason… Jason helped me put myself back together again." 

By the time Elizabeth had finished speaking, Lucky's eyes were glistening with unshed tears. "I used to be the one who did that for you," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "So, you're saying… you're saying Jason took over my role in your life." 

Elizabeth shook her head fiercely. "No. Jason was my friend. He IS my friend. You were dead, Lucky. I needed a friend." 

"I wasn't dead. Faison and Helena had me…" 

Elizabeth bit her lip as more tears fell from her eyes. "You were dead to me." 

Lucky flinched, standing up so quickly that his chair fell over. "So you moved on," he said, his voice distant. "With Jason." 

"No," Elizabeth said, standing so that she could grab his hand. "I moved on to a life without you." 

Facing her, Lucky put his hand to her cheek. "But I'm back now. You needed Jason when I was gone… but now you shouldn't need him, because you have me." 

Elizabeth stepped away, looking at everything but her face. She had been saying that same thing to herself for a while. She shouldn't need Jason anymore. She said it to herself over and over in her head but it was hallow. It was hallow because it wasn't the truth. She still needed him, now more than ever. 

"Lucky," she started, hugging herself as a gust of wind chilled her to the bone. "I changed that year… we both did. I stood up to people, I gained my independence, I learned that I could do things on my own." She paused and looked down. She could tell that she was hurting him but she needed to say all of this. 

"I grew up. And I like what I became." She paused to look at him. "I love you Lucky. And when you came back, I wanted to be that girl you fell in love with again. I wanted to make you happy." 

"What are you saying, Elizabeth." 

Elizabeth frowned. "I'm not saying this very well. What I'm trying to tell you is that… I've lost sight of who I am. I've been trying to make you happy but the whole time, I was making myself miserable." 

Lucky's jaw clenched. "You mean when I asked you to stay away from Jason." 

Elizabeth took a deep breath, forcing herself to tell him the truth. "Yes… that's part of it. And also… I hate modeling. I hate being the Face of Deception." 

Lucky's eyes widened. "That's our dream, Elizabeth. How can you hate it?" 

"That's your dream. My dream is to paint. It makes me feel alive, Lucky. It's what I want. I look in the mirror and I don't recognize myself anymore. I don't see that girl who was with you in the church on Valentine's day, and I don't see that independent woman I became when you were gone." 

With his chin trembling, Lucky turned away from her. "And that's my fault right? Because you were just trying to make me happy." 

Elizabeth sniffled. "No. It's mine. I let everything spin out of control. I should have been honest with you from the start, Lucky. And I'm sorry for that, but I'm going to be honest now. I don't want to fight with you, and I don't want to be the Face… and my friendship with Jason-" 

"Elizabeth, please." Lucky held his hand up. "You're throwing a lot on me right now. I knew you lied to me about knowing Jason was in town, but… I didn't know you had been lying about your feelings." 

"I know, Lucky, and that was wrong of me." Elizabeth bit her lip and looked up at the night sky. "I just… I'm trying to make this right." 

"What would be right would be for you not to see Jason anymore." 

Elizabeth nearly growled with frustration. "This isn't about Jason. It's about US." 

"He did something to you, Elizabeth. He changed you. Because the Elizabeth I know would never act like that." 

Elizabeth shook her head sadly. "The Elizabeth you knew died the night of the fire. I can never be her again, Lucky. It's not who I am anymore." She took a deep, shaky breath. "Tomorrow, I'm going to go to Laura and tell her that I want to resign as the Face. I want to continue my classes at PCU. I'd like for you to come with me but… but I'll go, with or without your support." 

Lucky stood silent for a long moment. Finally, he walked towards the door of Kelly's, opening it and holding out his hand to her. 

"I'll go with you to see my mom tomorrow," he said quietly. "Let's go inside, Elizabeth. It's cold out here." 

Nodding, Elizabeth grabbed his hand, letting him pull her into the diner. Before she walked inside, she turned, looking towards the direction that Jason had taken when he left, knowing that he was long gone but unable to stop herself from looking anyway. 

* * *

Letting out the breath he hadn't known he been holding, Jason stepped out from behind the bushes around Kelly's. Stepping up to the door, he touched the glass near the spot where Elizabeth had been last standing. 

Sighing, he dropped his hand to the side. He had heard everything she had said to Lucky. He knew he shouldn't have been listening, but he couldn't help it. He needed to know that she was going to be ok, and he had wanted to be there for her if her and Lucky had fought. 

But she had gone upstairs… to be with Lucky. 

From where he stood, things looked like they were only going to get better for Lucky and Elizabeth. Elizabeth was finally being honest with Lucky and that could only lead to good things for the two of them. Turning away from Kelly's Jason made a decision right there. 

"Goodbye Elizabeth." 

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	4. Chapter Four

"Is Sonny in?" 

Johnny frowned and nodded his head, motioning for Jason to listen. The sound of Sonny and Carly having another argument over Deception could be heard and Jason rolled his eyes. For two people who loved each other, they sure did fight a lot. 

Shaking his head, Jason opened the door anyway, letting himself inside. "Sonny, I need to talk to you." 

"Jase!" Carly cried out. "How did you know I needed you here right now? Explain to Sonny-" 

"What is it, Jason?" Sonny interrupted, giving Carly a pointed look. 

Jason hesitated for a moment. "It's… business." 

Carly rolled her eyes. "Is that ALL you two talk about? I'm starting to think you two just say that to get me out of the room." 

"Carly." Sonny's hard voice and stern look did the trick and Carly grudgingly made her way up the stairs. Sonny waited until he was sure Carly was in her room before turning his attention back to his best friend. "I know it's not business, so what is it?" 

Sighing heavily, Jason walked over to the couch, sitting down and leaning forward until his elbows rested on his knees. 

Sonny stood silent for a moment, waiting for Jason to speak first. When it was obvious Jason wasn't going to say anything, he spoke up. "Does it have anything to do with Elizabeth?" 

Jason's head jerked up. "How did you know?" 

Smirking, Sonny walked over, taking a seat on the footstool in front of Jason. "I know you. I know how you look when you… care about someone. And from the looks of it, you definitely care about Elizabeth Webber. 

Shaking his head, Jason looked into the fire Sonny had roaring in the fireplace. "Having me here is confusing her. She's trying to make it work with Lucky. She loves Lucky. That's her choice. I can't tell her who to love." 

"But you could tell her how you feel." 

Jason shook his head. "That would just confuse her more." 

Sonny's eyebrows raised. "You always say that we have no right to make decisions for the people we care about. Don't you think keeping quiet about your feelings is, in a way, making a decision for Elizabeth?" 

Sighing, Jason shook his head. "I know what I have to do, Sonny." 

"And what's that?" 

Jason took a deep breath. "I'm leaving Port Charles." 

Sonny froze. "Come again?" 

"You heard me, Sonny. I'm leaving." 

Shaking his head, Sonny stood, pacing. "That can't happen, Jason. I need you here." 

"Sonny-" 

"Alexis got the trial date for Zander moved up to next week. One week, Jason. I need you to protect the kid for one more week. You can leave after that, but I need you right now. I'm trying to protect my family and you're the only one I trust to help me." 

Jason sighed. He had wanted to leave that night, but he couldn't leave if Sonny needed him. And Sonny needed him right now. "One week. I'm leaving as soon as this trial is over." 

Sonny exhaled, watching Jason stand and make his way towards the door. "Are you sure about this." 

Standing at the door, Jason nodded. "I'm sure." 

* * *

Closing her eyes, Elizabeth rested her head on the counter, taking a deep breath. The dinner shift at Kelly's was always hectic, but it seemed like today had been even worse than usual. It seemed like everyone in Port Charles had decided to go out to eat that night and all of them had come to Kelly's. Elizabeth wanted nothing more than to close up, go upstairs, and take a soothing bath. 

Heaving a sigh, Elizabeth straightened, grabbing a dishpan and filling it before taking everything into the back so that the plates could be cleaned. The diner was empty now and before she went into the back room, she hit the lights, lowering them. She preferred low lights to bright ones. 

Humming to herself, Elizabeth thought back on the past few days. Telling Laura that she didn't want to be the Face of Deception anymore had been tough, but she was glad Lucky had supported her decision. It would have been nearly impossible if she would have had to fight both Laura AND Lucky. 

Smiling Elizabeth pushed that out of her mind. She would be starting up classes at PCU again tomorrow and she couldn't wait. She had only been gone for from school for about a week, but she was still excited. Taking art classes again meant that she would definitely be painting more, and now that she wasn't modeling, she'd have even more time. 

"And Lucky's still Laura's photographer, so I'll have time to myself to paint," Elizabeth mumbled to herself. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she frowned. The loving girlfriend should not be thinking thoughts like that. 

Elizabeth was shaking her head at herself when she heard a scraping noise coming from the front room. Frowning, she peered through the opening in the wall that separated the kitchen from the dining area. Because she had turned down the lights, it was hard for her to see anything, but it didn't look like anyone was out there. 

"Hello?" Elizabeth called out cautiously. "Lucky? Is that you?" 

No one answered. Slowly, Elizabeth dropped the towel that was in her hand and she carefully made her way out of the back room. 

Is it just me or is it even darker in here than it was before… > 

Holding her breath, Elizabeth stepped out into the diner. The room was empty. Shaking her head, Elizabeth rolled her eyes at herself, embarrassed at her behavior. Of course no one was there. She was just hearing things. 

"Get a grip." 

Spinning on her heel to return to the back room, Elizabeth did a double take when she saw something on the floor shimmer out of the corner of her eye. Her eyebrows merged as she tried to remember if that had been there before. She hadn't remembered seeing anything there… and she was sure she had swept the floor thoroughly. Slowly, Elizabeth stepped towards the object, bending to pick it up. It was a bracelet. 

Identical to the bracelet her Grams had loaned her when she had been raped. 

The bracelet dropped to the ground a second later and Elizabeth backed away, not able to take her eyes off of it. The sound of her heavy breathing resonated in her ears and all she could focus on was the little piece of jewelry that lay on the floor as flashes of that night played in her head. 

Fear clenched her stomach into a tight ball as she quickly stood, kicking the bracelet with her foot until it slid under the counter. Pulling her apron off, Elizabeth threw it onto the counter as she raced to the door, sliding the bolt into place before flipping off the lights and running up the stairs, taking two at a time. 

Standing in front of the door to her room, Elizabeth paused, trying to catch her breath. Leaning against the door for a moment, she composed herself before pulling out her key and unlocking the door. 

Lucky sat on the bed, looking up from his book as Elizabeth made her way into the room, careful to not look him straight in the eye. 

"You finish closing up already?" 

Looking up, Elizabeth forced a smile onto her face. "It went quick tonight." 

"Are you ok, Elizabeth?" 

She brightened her smile to the point where it felt like her face was going to crack. 

"I'm fine, Lucky… I'm fine." 

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	5. Chapter Five

Elizabeth cautiously made her way down the stairs of Kelly's, peeking around the corner. The diner was bustling and behind the counter, Emily stood, laughing at Zander, who was sitting in front of her. Elizabeth's eyes traveled down to the floor near the counter. She knew the bracelet was probably still there; no one swept the floor in the morning when they opened. 

"Hey, Elizabeth," Emily called out, waving her friend over. Elizabeth looked haggard, her clothes hastily thrown on and her hair unkempt. "Are you ok?" 

Her eyes still down on the floor, Elizabeth smiled, taking a deep breath before looking up at her best friend. "I'm fine… how are you? You're not having trouble this morning, are you? Because I know it was busy last night and Friday mornings are always the worst…" 

Emily laughed, pushing a piece of hair out of her face. "It's fine, Elizabeth. No worse than it usually is." 

Nodding, Elizabeth looked over at Zander, muttering a hello to him as she tried to force herself not to bend down and look under the counter. "You know, Em… I've got to get going. I've got a class at PCU in twenty minutes and I don't want to be late." 

"Right, I forgot about that. You'd better go…" Emily watched Elizabeth's eyes dart down to the floor again and she frowned. "Did you drop something?" Bending down, Emily reached her hand out along the floor under the counter. 

"NO!" Elizabeth's eyes widened and she immediately clamped her mouth shut when she caught sight of both Emily and Zander's wide-eyed stares. 

"Are you sure you're ok?" Emily asked again slowly. 

Elizabeth adjusted the strap of her purse. "I'm fine… fine… I just didn't want you to… touch the floor. Who knows what's down there. I mean, I know we sweep when we close, but one of us could miss something and there could be crumbs and dust down there and you don't want to have to wash your hands when it's busy like this…" 

Emily's eyebrows furrowed as Elizabeth rambled on. Something seemed off with her today. "Elizabeth?" 

Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth once again forced a smile on her face. "I'm FINE, Emily… really." She looked around, knowing she couldn't keep the charade up for much longer. "I have to go or I'll be late for class. I'll see ya." 

Without another word, Elizabeth tightened her grip on her bag and rushed out of Kelly's. 

* * *

"Your assignment's on the board, everyone. Have a nice day." 

With a contented sigh, Elizabeth leaned back in her seat, closing her notebook. Art Interpretation had to be one of her favorite classes. She loved looking at a piece of work and trying to determine the emotions she felt as a result of that. 

"You dropped this." 

In front of her stood a tall young man, a pencil in his hand, pointed towards her. Smiling, Elizabeth grabbed it and threw it in her bag. 

"Thanks… I didn't even realize I dropped it." 

"Yeah, I noticed you were really into the lecture." 

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "I didn't realize I was being watched." 

The boy shrugged, embarrassment tinting his face a pale pink. "Yeah, well… art's not really my thing. I kind of got stuck in this class as a result of bad scheduling. But you seem to really like it." 

Elizabeth smiled as she stood, gathering her things. "Art is my passion." 

The boy nodded. "It's always good to be passionate about something. I'm Jeremy, by the way. Jeremy Barker." 

"Elizabeth Webber." 

"Elizabeth… such a long name… do people call you that, or do the call you Liz, Eliza… or Lizzie." 

"Ugh, not Lizzie. My family used to call me that before… when I was younger, but I outgrew that. Some people call me Liz though." 

"What about Eliza?" 

Elizabeth smiled as the two of them made their way towards the door. "No, I can't say anyone's called me that before. Eliza… that's something new." 

Jeremy smiled. "Do you mind if I call you Eliza? Eliza the artist." 

Smiling, Elizabeth nodded. "Eliza's fine. I don't mind at all." Looking down, Elizabeth checked her watch. "I need to meet my boyfriend. I'll see you though, Jeremy." 

Laughing, Jeremy started walking off in the other direction, calling out over his shoulder to Elizabeth. "Bye… Eliza!" 

Laughing, Elizabeth made her way off of the PCU campus. As far as first days of school went, her was pretty good. It felt great to be a student again. Her professors seemed nice, she was meeting new people, and she was finally beginning to do exactly what she wanted. 

Things are going to be different from now on. > Elizabeth took a deep breath when that thought crossed her mind. Things were going to be very different… and she knew exactly how to launch that change. 

* * *

Walking down the docks, Elizabeth paused for a moment, taking time to look at the Corinthos/Morgan warehouse. It was still in shambled from the fire, and Elizabeth remembered the fear she had felt on Valentine's Day. 

The second she'd seen Jason run into the building, her heart had stopped, fear freezing herself in her spot. Her eyes concentrated only on the opening in the building as she prayed with everything inside of her that he would come out alright. 

She had almost given up hope when neither Jason nor Sonny came out after a few minutes and tears threatened in her eyes as she was preparing herself to turn away. That had been when she saw movement and Jason and Sonny came stumbling from the building. Her eyes locked with Jason's, and at that moment, nothing else mattered 

Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth looked away from the building, jerking herself out of that memory. She looked off in the direction of Kelly's and sighed. She had come to a decision on the way to PCU and she'd been going over it in her head all morning. She was going to live life for herself now… 

…she just had to keep up her nerve so she could tell Lucky that. 

Going over in her head what she wanted to say, Elizabeth made her way towards Kelly's. She knew what she was going to say would confuse and hurt Lucky, but she had to do it. She couldn't even recognize herself in the mirror anymore and that wasn't right. 

Pushing the door to Kelly's open, Elizabeth's eyes scanned the customers before finally landing on Lucky at the corner table. He waved her over and taking a deep breath, Elizabeth starting walking towards him. 

Standing, Lucky leaned over the table to kiss her. "Hey, Beautiful." 

Elizabeth bit her lip. "Lucky…" 

"What's going on?" 

Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth sat, leaning forward onto the table. "We have to talk, Lucky." 

Laughing, Lucky grabbed her hand, playing with the silver ring she always wore on her left hand. "We are talking. But why don't we go upstairs." He grinned suggestively at her and Elizabeth frowned, pulling her hand out of Lucky's grasp. 

"I have something I need to say, Lucky, and I need you to listen to me." 

"I always listen, Elizabeth." 

Elizabeth took a deep breath. "I want to move out of Kelly's." 

Lucky's brows furrowed. "What do you mean? Move out? I don't understand." 

"I want to live in my studio." 

Laughing, Lucky leaned back, wiping his hand over his chin. "Don't you think your studio is kind of small? How will the two of us fit in there? And it's cold too." 

Elizabeth frowned. "No, Lucky… I don't think you understand… I want to live on my own." 

"We do live on our own." 

"No, we don't. We practically live together-" 

"That's because we love each other. We're in love, Elizabeth." 

Sighing, Elizabeth pushed her hair out of her face. "Just because we love each other doesn't mean we have to spend all of our time together. I need to be on my own… I need to have my own place." 

Lucky frowned, not liking what he was hearing. "Elizabeth, we don't spend all of our time together. You're not modeling anymore so we'll rarely see each other. The only time we'll see each other is when we are upstairs. Where WE live. Why are you trying to pull away from me all of the time? Where is this coming from?" 

"I'm not trying to pull away, Lucky. And it's coming from me." 

Lucky's eyes narrowed slightly. "No, I don't think it is. I know where this is coming from." He paused for a moment, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched her. "Jason's making you do this." 

Elizabeth's shoulders dropped in frustration. "Not this again… please." 

"No," Lucky said, raising his voice. "Nikolas said that when I was gone, you'd hang around Jason and you'd be different. You'd act different… I think Nikolas was right. You do act different when Jason's around. You lie to me… now you're pulling away from me…" 

"Lucky, this isn't about Jason," Elizabeth said in exasperation. "It's about ME and what I want." 

Lucky glared at her. "So what you want… what you want, is to break up with me?" 

Elizabeth's eyes widened. "Who said anything about breaking up?" 

Slamming his hand on the table, Lucky leaned forward. "We I don't know… my girlfriend comes in here after weeks of LYING to me and all of the sudden decides that she wants to move out. Oh, and this comes AFTER she decides she would rather go to school than work with me… that sure sounds like breaking up to me." 

"Well, maybe you should get your ears checked Lucky because-" 

Elizabeth stopped short when the door to Kelly's was pushed open. A young, petite women walked in with dark, wavy, shoulder-length hair. Elizabeth watched as if everything were in slow motion as the woman slid out of her jacket to reveal a red dress. 

Identical to the red dress Elizabeth had worn… that night.... 

The woman's eyes locked with Elizabeth's as she slid her coat back on, turning on her heel to walk out the door. Pushing back her chair, Elizabeth stood, looking away from the door only when Lucky grabbed her forearm. 

"Because what, Elizabeth? Huh?" 

"Lucky, let go of me. I have to leave." Elizabeth strained her neck, trying to see out of the door to see if the woman was still out there. 

"You can't answer, can you? Because you know I'm right." 

"LUCKY." Elizabeth jerked her arm out of her grasp and threw on her jacket, stumbling over chairs as she rushed to get out of the diner. She had to find that woman. 

"Don't walk away from me, Elizabeth." 

Ignoring him, Elizabeth pushed her way out of the diner, running out into the cold weather. 

There was no one in sight. 

Elizabeth shook as she look around. That was two nights. Two nights in a row that she had seen reminders of her rape. It wasn't a coincidence. It couldn't have been. 

"She looked right at me," Elizabeth said breathlessly. She breathed heavily for a few seconds, looking around in desperation. "What's going on…" 

Turning back towards Kelly's, Elizabeth looked inside the window. Lucky's angry eyes were glaring back at her. Taking a step backward, Elizabeth moved away from the door. She didn't want to deal with him right now… she couldn't deal with him. 

Stumbling around the outside tables, Elizabeth took off running. 

Out of the bushes around Kelly's, Francis emerged, pulling out his cell phone as he took off after his charge. Sonny and Jason would kill him if he lost sight of her and something happened. She was headed in the direction of her studio and once Francis was sure that was where she was going, he slowed his pace, pressing the speed dial button. 

"This is Francis… we've got a problem. Something's wrong with Miss Webber." 

* * *

"Stop… you can stop pulling on my arm now, jeez." 

The young women in the dress dug her heels into the ground, forcing the man who was dragging her away from Kelly's to stop. 

"Did she see you?" The man asked, keeping himself hidden in the shadows. "Did you make sure she saw you?" 

The girl sigh, annoyance seeping into her voice. "Of course she did. I did exactly what you told me to. I walked in, caught her eye, and made sure she saw me in the dress. Now can you just give me the money now? It's cold out here." 

The man pulled an envelope out of his pocket, handing it over to the woman. "Get out of here and burn the dress, got it? You're not to stay in Port Charles for another night." 

The woman opened the envelope, counting the bills. Satisfied, she tucked it into her coat pocket, smiling widely at the man. "I got it, I got it…" She tapped the pocket that held the money. "Thanks…" 

The man watched as she walked away before turning on his heel. "Oh no," he said to himself. "Thank YOU." 

Grinning, he walked away. 

[Chapter Six][1]   
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	6. Chapter Six

Elizabeth ran down the pier, not taking notice of where she was going, only knowing that she had to get away. The more and more she thought about the bracelet, the dress… Lucky… the more she felt like something was terribly off. Fear choked her and gasping for breath, Elizabeth stumbled towards the building that held her studio. 

As Elizabeth pulled on the door, she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. Wide-eyed, she gasped at what she saw. 

Tom. 

He grinned at her, whispering something that she couldn't hear. Closing her eyes for a second, Elizabeth willed herself to be strong. 

When she opened them, he was gone. 

Breathless, Elizabeth stared in confusion at the spot where Tom had been standing. He had been there… he had to have been… he looked so real. 

Tears of uncertainty fell from her eyes as Elizabeth looked around in fear. Her entire being was screaming that something was wrong. Pushing open the door to the building, Elizabeth raced up the stairs, throwing open the door to her studio. Covering her mouth with her hand, she sobbed into her palm, collapsing next to her couch. 

* * *

"There isn't much more we can do, Sonny," Jason said, rubbing his hand over his cheek. "We've put the curfew and guards on Zander… You heard Alexis. We can't take him out of Port Charles." 

Frustrated, Sonny slammed his hands on the table. "That's not good enough! Zander isn't controllable. He acts without thinking and that is going to get him killed." 

Jason frowned. "I'll put extra guards on him. They'll stay out of sight and if Zander breaks the rules again, they'll grab him and take him back to Alexis's." 

Sighing, Sonny looked up towards the stairs, knowing Carly was up there with Michael. "I know… I know you're doing what you can… but Jason, this is my family. I need for them to be safe. And unfortunately, I need Zander in order for that to happen." 

Both men stood in silence, thinking about what the cost would be if Zander's testimony didn't get Sorel a conviction. Sorel would be released and would retaliate. That couldn't happen. 

"Jason," Sonny began. "I wouldn't be able to do this without you, you know that, right?" 

Smirking, Jason shook his head. "You'd get by. This is your family. You'd makes sure they were protected." 

Sonny sighed. "I guess that means you're still adamant about leaving after this trial is over." 

Jason inhaled deeply. "Yes." 

Shaking his head, Sonny walked over to the couch, leaning against the back. "I know you care about Elizabeth, but are you sure leaving is the best thing? You don't have to leave…" 

"Sonny… it's… it's what's best." 

"I don't believe that," Sonny said. "How is you leaving good for anyone?" 

Jason sighed. "I already told you… Lucky-" 

"Who cares about Lucky? I'm talking about you." Sonny paused, studying his friend. "You care about Elizabeth, that's clear. And I know she cares about you." 

"Sonny…" 

Sonny shook his head, pushing away from the couch. "I remember after that bomb was put in her studio, and you went down to Puerto Rico for a few days… Elizabeth came here. She was looking of you, she was worried about you." Sonny stopped, looking Jason straight in the eye. "I could see then how much she cared about you. You two could have something, Jason." 

"No," Jason said. "She loves Lucky. She tells me that all the time. She-" 

There was a knock on the penthouse door and Johnny peeked his head in, looking back and forth between Sonny and Jason. 

"What is it Johnny?" Sonny asked, more than a little annoyed that his conversation with Jason had been interrupted. It wasn't often that Jason opened himself up and Sonny wanted to know what was going on in his best friend's head. 

Johnny looked over at Jason and frowned, not sure of how to relay the message he'd just been given. "Uh… Francis just called." 

Jason's head jerked up and he was immediately paying attention. Francis was Elizabeth's guard and if he was calling… something had to be up. 

Sonny looked sideways at Jason, taking in his friend's reaction. "What did he say." 

Johnny swallowed. "He said… he said he'd followed Miss Webber to her studio and that… that something was wrong." 

"What do you mean?" Jason asked as he reached for his jacket. "Is she hurt? Upset?" 

"Upset. He said she went running from Kelly's and that she looked terrified." 

Jason was already halfway out the door. "Did he say if anyone bothered her at Kelly's?" he asked over his shoulder as he waited for the elevator doors to open. 

Johnny hesitated for a moment. "He said it looked like she had a fight with her boyfr… with Lucky Spencer." 

Jason cured, stepping into the elevator before the doors had even completely opened. He may supposed to be staying away from Elizabeth… but he'd be damned if he was going to stand by when she was hurting. Impatiently, Jason rode the elevator down to the main floor. 

He needed to get to her studio, and he needed to get there now. 

* * *

Pulling herself off the floor, Elizabeth wiped at her eyes, trying desperately to catch her breath. Her studio was dark but she made no move to turn on the lights. 

Flashes of that night in the park played over and over in her head. The coldness of the wind on her cheeks, how she huddled into her jacket… 

Closing her eyes, Elizabeth tried to push the thoughts out of her head but they wouldn't stop. They kept coming at her, like a video with no stop button. 

She remembered the coldness of the beach, the heavy feeling of the bracelet on her wrist. She remembered the feeling of fear when the hand clamped over her mouth, pulling her up off the bench. 

"Stop…" Elizabeth whispered, grabbing her head with her hands. "Make it stop…" 

She could see herself in her head being pushed into the snow, feeling the cold wetness seep into her skin. She could feel Tom's bodyweight on top of her, crushing her to the point that breathing became hard. 

There was a pounding on the door to her studio and Elizabeth looked up, fear darkening her eyes. The pounding only got louder and Elizabeth instinctively dropped to the ground, crawling away from the door, her entire body shaking. 

"Elizabeth! Elizabeth, are you in there?" 

It took her a moment for her to register Jason's voice calling out to her, but he second she did, Elizabeth ran to the door, yanking it open and throwing herself into his arms. 

Jason wrapped his arms around her trembling body, holding her close as she burrowed closer to him. He hadn't expected her to come running towards him and she had caught him by surprise. When he hadn't seen a light shining from under the door, and when she didn't respond to his knocking, he was sure that Francis had been wrong and that she wasn't there. He never expected her to come to him like this… in this state. 

"Elizabeth," Jason whispered, cradling her head with her hand. He straightened, lifting her feet a few inches off the ground so that he could move out of the hallway and into her studio. She never released her hold on him and he wasn't even sure she'd noticed that they had moved. 

"Elizabeth," Jason tried again, sitting down with her on the couch. He ran his fingers through her hair, trying to sooth her. Her entire body trembled next to his and it broke his heart to see her this upset. "What happened? What has you so upset?" 

When she didn't answer, instead burrowing even closer to his chest, Jason switched tactics, rubbing her back as he rocked the two of them back and forth. As much as he wanted to know what was wrong, he'd let her talk to him once she was ready, and it was obvious that she wasn't ready right now. 

Once she had calmed a little, Elizabeth pulled away from Jason, wiping at her eyes. Jason watched her carefully as she kept her eyes down, refusing to look him in the eye. Leaning forward, Jason lowered his head, trying to get her to look up at him. 

"Elizabeth…" 

She looked up and her chin trembled. Concern was etched on his face. Whoever said he had no emotions never took the time to really look at him. She could clearly see the emotions on his face at that moment. His concern for her eased her fear slightly. 

"Jason," she whispered, her voice hoarse from her tears. 

"What happened, Elizabeth?" Jason asked gently. "I can't help you if you don't tell me." 

"Do you have your bike?" Elizabeth asked suddenly, sniffling. "Can we go for a ride?" 

"Elizabeth, I'm not sure-" 

Elizabeth's big eyes pleaded with him. "Please, Jason, please don't say no. I need… I need to feel the wind." 

She could have asked him for a million dollars at that moment and he would have given it to her in a second. He knew that she was upset over something, but he also knew that he couldn't force it out of her. If she wanted to go for a ride, if it would make her feel better, then who was he to deny her. 

Jason pushed off the couch, holding out his hand to her. "My bike's out in the ally." 

Still shaking, Elizabeth grabbed his outstretched hand, feeling the strength in his large hand. She would be safe with him. Jason would protect her. She looked around as she allowed Jason to lead her outside. 

Jason would keep Tom away… 

Stepping up to the bike, Jason sat down, waiting for Elizabeth to climb on behind him before he started up the engine. He revved it up as he waited for her to put on the helmet. He felt her arms slide around his waist, holding onto him as tight as she could. He squeezed her hand lightly once before placing his hands on the handles and speeding off. 

Jason saw the road towards the bridge coming up and he slowed slightly, turning onto it. He felt Elizabeth shift behind him as he slowed the bike to a stop, kicking the kickstand down. He turned his head to the side as much as he could, trying to look at her. 

"Elizabeth?" 

"Why did we stop?" Elizabeth mumbled, pulling the helmet off her head. 

"Do you want to keep going?" 

Elizabeth looked around, recognizing the bridge. She wished it was daytime so that they could walk around and find the gardens and the statues. Sighing, she climbed off the bike, watching out of the corner of her eye as Jason followed suit. 

The ride had been exactly what she had needed. After everything, she needed to clear her head, and sitting on the back of Jason's bike, feeling the wind rush by her, was exactly what would clear her head. She knew Jason wanted to know what was going on, and she knew he was worried. 

"How did you know I needed you?" 

"What do you need me for?" 

Elizabeth took a deep breath, looking around. She felt Jason step up beside her. When she looked up at him, there were tears in her eyes as she whispered. "I'm scared." 

Jason held out his arms and she stepped towards him, allowing him to hold her. "What is it, Elizabeth?" 

She looked up at him, a single tear falling from her eyes. "Tom." 

* * *

A man sat in his hotel room, leaning forward onto the mahogany desk as he opened the file in front of him. Soft classical music played in the background as his eyes read over the information he'd been given. 

Picking up the picture in front of him, he studied Elizabeth, his finger lightly tracing her face on the photograph. 

"Elizabeth Webber," he said, letting her name roll around on his tongue. He smiled as he studied her picture. She was beautiful. 

Putting the picture back into the file, he tapped the folder once before turning away, flipping off the light to bask the room in darkness. 

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	7. Chapter Seven

Elizabeth took a deep breath as she pulled away from Jason, wrapping her arms around herself as she looked down. 

"Tom?" Jason asked carefully. "Isn't that the man who… attacked you?" 

When Elizabeth turned around to look at him, tears glittered in her eyes. "I thought this was over. It's been years, Jason. I thought I'd gotten past it." 

"Elizabeth, you did get past it. I've watched you. I can see how strong you are." 

Elizabeth tried desperately to keep her tears from falling. "If I had really gotten past it, then why is this affecting me so much? He shouldn't have control over me anymore." She lifted her face to the sky and yelled out. "Why am I still letting him control me?!" 

Jason walked over to her, pulling lightly on her arm until she looked at him. His chest felt tight at the sight of her in so much pain. "I can't help you until you tell me what's going on." 

Her chin trembled. "I shouldn't be here," she whispered brokenly. 

"But you are… and I could help you if you let me." 

Elizabeth's eyes glazed over slightly as she looked off into the distance. "Lucky helped me before… after the rape. He was there for me. I should have gone to him with this." 

Jason flinched slightly. "Then why are you with me now?" 

When Elizabeth looked back at him, her eyes seemed to clear slightly. "I feel safe with you," she whispered simply. "And I need to feel safe right now." 

Slowly, Jason brought his hand up to face, his fingers lightly running over her cheek. Her skin was moist from her tears. "What's going on, Elizabeth?" 

"I saw him." 

"You saw who?" 

A tear fell, landing on Jason's hand. He looked down at it as he waited for her to speak. "Tom… I saw him outside my studio." 

Jason immediately stiffened. "Did he approach you? Did he say anything?" 

"It was only for a second…" Her voice shook as she spoke. "I saw something out of the corner of my eye… and I turned and it was him." She covered her face with her hands. "Why won't he leave me alone?" 

Jason pulled her into his arms, resting his chin on the top of her head as she sobbed into his arms. It broke his heart to see her like this. He felt rage build inside of him. 

Pulling away slightly so that he could look into her eyes, Jason watched Elizabeth carefully, trying to gage her emotions. She looked up at him with her big eyes and he knew he would to everything in his power to protect her. 

His fingers gently brushed over her skin, wiping away her tears. "I'll protect you," he vowed, looking her straight in the eye. 

Elizabeth's breath caught in her throat. "I know you will," she whispered back. "I just want this to stop, Jason. I want it to stop." 

Jason's eyebrow furrowed. "Was this the first night you saw Tom?" 

She nodded but at the same time, she took a deep breath, looking away. Jason's senses were screaming at him that there was something she wasn't telling him. 

"Elizabeth?" 

"I don't understand what's going on, Jason. It's Tom… it has to be Tom. He's doing this." 

"Doing what?" 

Elizabeth walked over to Jason's bike, running her hand over the leather seat. "He's leaving me reminders of that night." 

Jason's jaw clenched but he remained silent, letting her continue. 

"The other night, I was in the back room closing up at Kelly's and I heard something… When I went into the dining area to look, I found a bracelet. It looked just like the bracelet I had been wearing that night, Jason. It was my Gram's bracelet, it was old… I can't imagine anyone else having one like it." 

Jason exhaled forcefully. "Is there more?" 

Elizabeth wiped her hands over her face before she continued. "Tonight… I was at Kelly's with Lucky and this women walked in." She looked up at Jason and he could see the fear in her eyes. "I was wearing a red dress that night, Jason. For Valentine's Day. The woman had it on, tonight. The dresses were identical." She looked up at him as she shivered. "Why is he doing this?" 

Jason sighed. "I don't know… but I'll stop him for you." Reaching forward, Jason pushed a piece of her hair back out of her face. "It's getting late." 

Nodding, Elizabeth reached for her helmet. "You're right. We should probably be getting back." 

"I'll drive you to Kelly's." 

Elizabeth shook her head. "Can you take me to my studio instead?" Jason raised his eyebrows as Elizabeth sighed. "I want to move into my studio… Living at Kelly's just doesn't feel right. I think this will be good for…" She faltered when she looked up and caught Jason's intense gaze. "For… Lucky and… and I." 

Jason's gaze was unreadable. "If that's what you want." 

The two climbed onto the bike and Jason revved it up, taking them back towards Port Charles. He drove fast, knowing that Elizabeth liked it, and in no time, he was pulling into the ally near her studio. 

"You want me to walk you up?" 

Elizabeth shook her head. "No, that's ok. I'll be fine." 

Jason studied her. "Are you sure?" 

Nodding, Elizabeth took a deep breath, looking up at her studio. "Yeah… I think I'm going to paint a little." 

A faint smiled came to Jason's lips. "Are you doing more of that lately. I know you didn't have much time before." 

Elizabeth smiled her first smile of the night. "I am… I'm making more time for me and… I'm painting a lot now, actually. Especially with my classes at PCU." 

Jason nodded. "I'm glad." 

"Thank you… for tonight, Jason. I don't know how you knew to come to me… but thank you." 

Jason smiled, nodding his head. "Goodnight." Elizabeth whispered her goodnights as she turned, entering the building. Jason stared at the building for a moment before turning away and pulling out his cell phone. 

"Benny, this is Jason. I need you to do something for me… It has nothing to do with business. I need you to run a check on someone… A Tom Baker." 

* * *

Elizabeth fumbled with the door to Kelly's the next morning, finally getting a hold of the handle and pulling the door open. The breakfast crowd was already pouring in and Emily stood at the counter, Zander by her side as always. 

Nodding at her friend, Elizabeth sat down near the door. 

Last night had been just what she needed. She had needed to tell someone about what had been happening… and with Lucky acting the way he had been over the last few days… 

"Where were you last night?" 

Slowly, Elizabeth looked up, finally meeting Lucky's angry glare. "Lucky." 

"Where were you?" he repeated. "I saw you run off but… when you didn't come back last night, I got worried." He took a seat in front of her, leaning forward on the table. "Why didn't you come home last night?" 

Elizabeth sighed. "I was at my studio." 

"No you weren't. I checked there." 

"Then we must have missed each other. I told you last night, Lucky. I want to move into my studio." 

Lucky rolled his eyes. "Elizabeth, Kelly's is your home." 

"Why can't you understand this?" Elizabeth asked, exasperation seeping into her voice. "I can't JUST be, Elizabeth Webber, Lucky Spencer's girlfriend. I need to be Elizabeth Webber, her OWN person." 

Lucky slowly shook his head. "So I didn't imagine it… we really did break up last night," he said quietly. 

Elizabeth sighed once more. "Lucky, we didn't break up last night. That's not what I was doing." 

"Well, that's what it sounded like!" Lucky stood up quickly. "I don't like this Elizabeth, you're not acting like yourself." 

Looking up at her boyfriend, Elizabeth bit her lip. "No Lucky," she said softly. "I'm finally acting like myself." 

Shaking his head, Lucky stared at her with wide eyes. "I don't know who you are anymore…" He looked at her for another moment before pushing in his chair and walking out the door. 

Heaving a big sigh, Elizabeth put her head in her hands. 

"Did you two have a fight?" 

Elizabeth looked up, forcing a smile onto her face when she saw Jeremy, the kid from her art class, standing in front of her. "You could say that." 

Jeremy motioned to the chair Lucky had just inhabited. "You mind if I sit… Eliza?" 

Shaking her head, Elizabeth laughed as she motioned for him to have a seat. "No… go ahead, sit." She noticed Emily walking towards the two of them and she smiled. "Hey Em." 

Emily stood behind Jeremy for a moment, looking him over before turning her attention to Elizabeth, raising her eyebrows in question. Elizabeth looked back and forth between Emily and Jeremy. 

"Em, this is Jeremy Barker… he's in my Art Interpretation class. Jeremy, this is my best friend Emily." 

The two nodded at each other, exchanging hellos. "Can I get you anything, Jeremy?" Emily asked, lifting up her pad and pen. 

"Actually, I'd like a coffee to go. I've got to get going. I only wanted to come in and say hi to Eliza." 

Emily's eyebrows raised once more at Elizabeth but she kept quiet. "Ok… well… I'll go get your coffee." 

Jeremy smiled at her, turning his attention back towards Elizabeth. "Have you started the interpretation homework yet?" 

Elizabeth groaned. "Ugh… I haven't even looked at my books since class." 

Jeremy laughed. "That class is going to be a killer for me. As I said before… I am no artist." 

"It's not that bad… just look at the artwork and write about what you feel." 

Jeremy shook his head in amazement. "How do you make it seem so simple?" 

Elizabeth shook her head. "It is sometimes…" Shaking her head slightly, Elizabeth remembered back to when Jason had said those same exact words to her. It had been the day before Valentine's Day… when he was still hiding out in her studio. 

"Eliza? You ok?" 

Shaking her head, Elizabeth put a smile onto her face. "Yeah, I'm fine." 

Jeremy smiled back and Emily came back over to the two, handing Jeremy his coffee. "Well, I'd better be going. Nice meeting you, Emily. I'll see you in class, Eliza." 

"Bye Jeremy." 

Both girls watched him walk out of Kelly's before Emily turned towards Elizabeth, taking the seat Jeremy had just vacated. "Eliza?" 

"He just thinks Elizabeth is too long." 

Emily's eyebrows raised once more. "Who is he, Elizabeth?" 

"I told you… he's just a guy from school." 

"A guy from school who has a nickname for you." Emily smiled. "Looks like you have an admirer." 

Shaking her head, Elizabeth laughed. "Oh Emily… he's just a guy I met." 

Emily laughed. "I guess you're right…" 

Elizabeth nodded. "Yeah… anyway… I don't need an admirer to complicate my life." She looked down as a thought floated across her mind. 

My love life is confusing enough as it is… > 

* * *

Jason pushed himself off Sonny's couch as Johnny opened the door, announcing Benny. "What have you got, Benny?" 

Benny stepped in the room, looking around, taking notice that Sonny was nowhere to be seen. "Not much… Jason, what you told me last night… Miss Webber couldn't have seen Tom Baker last night." 

Jason's eyes darkened. "She wouldn't lie about this, Benny." 

"I'm not saying she lied," Benny said, rushing to explain himself. "I'm just saying… maybe she saw wrong." 

"Just give me the information." 

Benny looked down at the folder in his hand. "I don't know what's going on, Jason… but she couldn't have seen him… she couldn't have. Tom Baker is still in Pentonville. He's still in jail, Jason." 

[Chapter Eight][1]   
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	8. Chapter Eight

Elizabeth frowned as she tapped her pencil on the edge of her sketchpad. She had an assignment she needed to get done and she was getting nowhere. Dozens of crumpled up sheets of paper were scattered around the studio where she'd thrown them and her mood was beginning to sour as well. 

Heaving a frustrated sigh, Elizabeth pushed off of the couch, pacing back and forth. There wasn't much space for her to pace around in, especially since she'd moved some of her things in from Kelly's. Lucky had fought with her over it but eventually he stormed off, telling her that she could do whatever she wanted… as long as she realized that she was ruining their relationship. 

Our relationship has been ruined since the fire. > 

Elizabeth stopped short when that thought floated across her mind, falling back onto the couch. As much as it hurt to admit it… it was true. 

Lucky and her were never the same after the fire. 

They had tried to recreate a love that had died in the fire that night. And as much as she hated to admit it, it hadn't worked. They weren't the same people they had been. They weren't kids anymore. They had changed and with that, came a change to the love they'd thought would always last. 

Elizabeth had held onto her love for Lucky because it was safe. It was what she knew. But she was different now, she had tasted independence and she wanted that back. She wanted to be the girl who could stand up to the entire town if need be again… And if she wanted to find that girl again… she needed to step away from her safety net. 

A single tear trickled down her face, but it didn't stem from fear like her recent tears in the past few days had been about. It was a tear of lost love. 

Of the end of love. 

She needed to say the words. Out loud… If she didn't, they wouldn't be as real. You can think the words all you want, but until you say them, they don't mean much. 

Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth looked around. This was HER studio. It was a symbol of the independence she had gain in that year Lucky was gone. She had fought her grandmother for it without Lucky, she had made it into a place of comfort for herself without Lucky, and it was hers and hers alone. 

Her eyes landed on the display easel where the painting of The Wind stood, the display light shining down on it softly. Whispering, Elizabeth said the words she'd didn't know she'd been feeling for a long time. 

"I am not in love with Lucky anymore." 

* * *

"DAMNIT!" 

Ducking, Jason cautiously stepped inside the door of the penthouse. The vase Sonny had thrown across the room lay in pieces on the floor near the door and Jason stepped over it as he walked in. 

Sonny looked over at his friend, taking deep breaths to try to control his anger. "We need to do something about Zander Smith. He's going to make me have a heart attack. He slipped the guards again, did you hear? He slipped them AGAIN and almost got himself killed." 

"What happened," Jason said, his voice and demeanor cool. 

Sonny nearly growled with frustration. "He pulled the slip so that he could see Emily – or so he says – and he was almost hit by a car!" 

Jason's eyebrows raised. "It wasn't Sorel?" 

"NO! That's the thing. The kid almost got himself killed because he FORGOT to look both ways before crossing the street. I can't deal with this, Jason. I can't. This is my family and I need Zander Smith to be protected – even from himself – until this trial." 

Jason nodded. "What do you have in mind?" 

"Take him underground. You can't leave Port Charles, but just… take him underground. I need for you to just… just disappear with him until the trial." 

Jason frowned slightly. "There are some things I have to-" 

"Jason, please." Sonny looked him straight in the eye and Jason saw a vulnerability there. "I can't lose my family." 

Taking a deep breath, Jason looked around at the penthouse, from the broken glass that Sonny had broken to Michael's toys by the fireplace. "I'll do it," he said softly. "But there's something I need you to do for me." 

Sonny breathed a sigh of relief. "Anything. I'll do anything." 

Jason looked down for a moment. "Look out for Elizabeth." 

"Is she in danger?" 

"She might be… I don't know. Someone's leaving her reminders of… of a bad night for her… I'll do some checking around while I'm in hiding with Zander, but… make sure she's safe Sonny." 

Sonny grabbed Jason's hand, looking down at it for a second before pulling his friend into a hug, both men patting each other on the back. "You have my word." 

He pulled back, looking Jason straight in the eye. "Elizabeth Webber will be protected, Jason… I promise you that. She'll be protected at all costs." 

* * *

Elizabeth inhaled deeply as she walked down the docks on her way towards the studio. The sun was just beginning to set but it was still light enough for her to feel safe. She always felt safer when it was light out. 

"Spring's coming soon," she mumbled to herself. 

"You always loved the spring." 

Spinning on her heel, Elizabeth watched as Lucky jogged down the stairs, his shoes soundly louder than usual on the wooden docks. 

"Lucky," she said carefully. She needed to talk to him, tell him her feelings, but she had wanted to do it on her own time. She wanted to plan it and have the chat when she was comfortable, and she knew that if he broached her on what she was feeling tonight, she wouldn't be able to lie to him anymore. Her realization was so new to her… she had wanted more time to get used to the idea that her and Lucky were never going to be the same again. 

It looked like she wouldn't have that luxury. 

"Want to come to Kelly's with me?" Lucky asked, looking hopeful. 

"I was just heading home," Elizabeth said slowly, motioning towards her studio building. Lucky winced at the idea of her studio being her home. 

"Come on, Elizabeth. Emily's working… we could go visit her, hang out. Just like old times." 

That did it. Those four words. _Just like old times_. 

Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth looked around, willing herself to do this. "Lucky… we need to talk." 

Lucky's face lit up. "So you'll come? You'll come back to Kelly's?" He pulled on her arm, urging her back towards the diner. 

"Wait. Stop." Digging her heels into the docks, she pulled her arm out of his grasp and sat down on a bench, patting the seat next to her. "Come here, Lucky." 

Lucky's eyebrows furrowed but he silently joined her. "What's going on." 

Elizabeth looked up at him as she whispered. "I can't do this anymore." 

"You can't do what?" 

Looking out at the water, Elizabeth tried to piece together her thoughts. "You meant everything to me, you know that. Especially after the rape. I had nothing then, and you came and gave me the world. I didn't know what to do. I thought I was going to be damaged goods after that night… but you loved me. And you made me believe that everything would be ok. And I loved you with all my heart." 

Lucky let out a shaky breath. "Why are you talking in the past tense?" 

Elizabeth ignored what he said, instead choosing to look down at her hands. "It's strange how much things change. When I was younger, I despised Sarah so much. Saint Sarah… that was my sister. I could never compare to her. I did everything I could to antagonized her, but she was there for me after the rape, you know? That was a big change." 

"Elizabeth…" 

"And my Grams… she's changed. She's more understanding, more supportive. And you've changed. You went from wanting to be a musician to loving photography. I guess everyone changes…" 

Lucky watched her babble in confusion. "Why are you talking about all of this?" 

Elizabeth finally looked back at him. "Aren't you going to ask how I've changed?" 

His jaw clenched but he remained silent. 

"I… I realized that I can live on my own. That I can be my own person. I've changed because I know now that I'm strong enough to make it for me. I'm strong now. I don't need anyone else to hold me up… it's nice to have them, but if I needed to do it myself, I could. I wouldn't want to, that's just how I am… but I could." 

Lucky's eyebrows furrowed. "I don't understand…" 

"When I told you I wanted to move out of Kelly's, you jumped to the conclusion that I was breaking up with you." 

Lucky started to get an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach. He chose to ignore it. "I know I didn't take you moving out well, but I can deal with it, Elizabeth. It will be hard, but I can do it… I love you that much." 

That uncomfortable feeling was getting stronger and stronger and Lucky inhaled sharply. "You said you weren't breaking up with me, Elizabeth… Don't tell me that's changed as well." 

Tears glittered in Elizabeth's eyes. "I'm sorry, Lucky." 

Lucky's face crumpled. "Elizabeth," he whispered, his voice breaking. "You can't… we… we're forever, remember? You hold the key to my heart… and that's a permanent lock. Forever, Elizabeth. We're supposed to love each other forever." 

"I will always love you, Lucky." 

He took a deep, calming breath. "Then why were you saying-" 

"But I'm not IN love with you anymore." 

Lucky froze, slowly turning towards her, his eyes welling up with tears. "You don't mean that," he said, hurt filling his voice. "You… you don't mean it!" 

Elizabeth's chin trembled but she forced herself to remain strong, no matter how much it hurt her to hurt him. "It's how I feel." 

"You don't know how you feel! You're confused." 

Elizabeth shook her head sadly. "For once Lucky… I'm not." 

Lucky shook his head as he stood, backing away from her. "I can't believe you're doing this to me… You love me, Elizabeth. You can't be doing this." 

"Lucky, I'm sorry!" 

Still shaking his head, Lucky moved farther away from her. "You don't know what you're doing. You don't…" 

Elizabeth watched as he walked away, wiping away tears as she remembered the hurt look on his face. "I'm sorry," she whispered to herself. Taking a deep breath, she pushed off the bench and made her way towards the studio. 

Never once did she notice the man standing in the shadows, watching the events as they unfolded in front of him, a grin on his face. 

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	9. Chapter Nine

(The next day) 

Struggling under the weight of her shoulder bag, Elizabeth made her way towards her studio. She was drained after her talk with Lucky last night, and had almost stayed inside instead of going to class, but instead, she pulled herself out of bed, forcing herself to start moving again. And she was glad she had. There had been a debate in her Art Interpretation class and she had loved every minute of it. 

"Elizabeth." 

Jerking her head up, Elizabeth caught sight of Jason as he jogged towards her. "Hey there," she said, a smile coming to her face. "I was just about to drop my things off and then go to Jake's to look for you. I need an ear." 

Jason's brows furrowed. "Is something wrong?" 

Shaking her head, Elizabeth took a deep breath. "Nope… no… I just wanted to talk to you." 

Jason sighed. "I just came from your studio." 

Elizabeth chuckled lightly. "How do you always know when I need you?" 

Watching as she shifted her weight, Jason took her bag from her as he spoke. "I didn't. There's something I need to tell you." 

Immediately, Elizabeth's eyebrows merged. "Is something wrong?" 

Looking around, Jason put his hand on her back, leading her towards her studio. "How about we go to your studio and talk there." 

Letting him lead her to her studio, both Elizabeth and Jason were silent until they were inside and the door was closed. "What's going on, Jason?" Elizabeth asked as she pulled off her coat and scarf. 

Jason looked around the studio for a moment before looking back at her and Elizabeth held her breath. She had a feeling he was about to say something she didn't want to hear. 

"I need to disappear for a while." 

Elizabeth took a step towards him. "Are you in danger? Is someone coming after you?" 

He shook his head. "It's nothing like that. You don't have to worry." 

She took another step towards him, reaching out for his arm. "If you were in danger, you'd tell me, right? I worry about you, Jason." She clasped his hand with her own and both of them looked down to where their hands were connected. 

"You can't know about business," Jason said softly, still looking down at their clasped hands. It looked right. It felt right. 

Elizabeth looked up at him. "I'm not asking to. I just need to know if you're ok." 

Jason brought his gaze back up to her face and the second his blue eyes locked on her, her breath caught in her throat. "No one's coming after me… not now at least." 

Elizabeth let out a sigh of relief. She looked down for a moment, trying to calm herself. "You are coming back though, aren't you?" 

Jason nodded, his gaze still focused on her. "I'll only be gone three days tops. I'll be back, Elizabeth." 

Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth moved around to the table set up in her studio. "Thank you… for tell me. Especially since it's only for a few days. It… it means a lot to me that you'd search me out just to tell me." 

Jason followed her movements with her eyes. "I didn't want you to worry if you couldn't find me… especially with what's been going on." 

"With Tom?" she whispered, looking down. 

Jason inhaled deeply. "It's not Tom, Elizabeth." 

Her head jerked up and she looked at him in confusion. "It has to be. Jason, who else would know all of those details? And… and I SAW him!" 

Shaking his head, Jason watched as she began to pace in front of him. "I don't know who's doing this, but I'll find out. But Tom Baker is still in Pentonville, Elizabeth. I had it checked out myself." 

Elizabeth looked up at him. "Is that why you're leaving, to find out who's doing this? Because if it is, I want to go too." 

"No… my leaving has nothing to do with that. But I have men working on it, and I'll be checking it out while I'm gone." 

"These men," she asked slowly. "Did you tell them about…" 

Jason shook his head. "They only know what they need to know. I didn't tell them about your attack." 

Elizabeth took a deep breath. "I'm going to miss you. You'll only be gone for a few days but I'll miss you." 

Jason reached out, brushing his hand against her arm. "When I come back, Elizabeth… when this trial is over… I'll get to the bottom of whoever is doing this to you." 

"I know you will." 

Jason forcefully exhaled. "If you need anything while I'm gone, I want you to go to Sonny. He'll help you, Elizabeth. And I've put a guard on you. It's Francis. Sonny said he's guarded you before." 

Elizabeth nodded. She couldn't help but feel overwhelmed. With everything going on in her life, and now add on top of that the fact that Jason was leaving and she was being guarded by Sonny's men again… 

"I like Francis," she said simply. 

"He'll stay hidden unless you need him. I know you don't really like guards. I can see it on your face." 

Elizabeth chuckled before looking up at Jason. "Take care of yourself, ok?" 

He nodded. "And you promise to go to Sonny if you need help." 

"I'll be fine." 

"I mean it, Elizabeth. Sonny will help you." He stared at her for a moment, making sure she understood that she could turn to Sonny if she needed help. "I should get going." 

Elizabeth followed Jason to the door, opening it for him. "See you later, Jason." 

Looking down at her, Jason brushed his hand over her cheek. "See you later." 

* * *

The door to Kelly's was shoved opened and startled, Emily looked up in surprise, along with the other customers, as Lucky stormed inside. He slammed the door behind him as he stormed through the dining area. 

"Uh… Lucky?" Emily tried as she wiped her hands on her apron. She walked around the corner and pulled on Lucky's arm as he stormed by her. "Hey, what's going on?" 

Lucky was fuming. Jerking away from Emily, he stormed up the stairs as fast as he could. Emily watched him go for a second before calling out to Tammy that she was going to take her break and running after him. Lucky stood in the hallway and when Emily walked up to him, he slammed his fist in the wall. 

Pulling on his arm, Emily dragged him away from the wall. "Hey! What do you think you're doing? Lucky, what's gotten into you?" 

Jerking his arm out of her grasp, Lucky breathed heavily. "She broke up with me." 

Emily's eyes widened. "What?" 

"You heard me, Em. Elizabeth broke up with me." 

Emily's jaw dropped. "I don't… You two love each other… why? I don't understand." 

Lucky laughed but it was full of cynicism. "Yeah, well Em… neither do I." Be began pacing in front of her and Emily watched him, not knowing what to do. "No wait, I do. I know why she did this." 

"Why Lucky?" 

"She said she wanted her independence again." Lucky sneered as he turned to look at his best friend. "She's a liar, you know that." 

Emily flinched at the words coming out of Lucky's mouth. She would never have believed that Lucky would say that about Elizabeth if she hadn't been standing there to hear it. "Lucky…" 

"She doesn't want her independence," he spat out angrily. "I know what she wants. She wants Jason." 

Once again, Emily's eyes widened. "No… Lucky, you don't understand. Elizabeth thinks of Jason as just her friend. They're just really good friends." 

"NO YOU DON'T UNDESTAND," Lucky yelled, stepping closer to Emily as he screamed. She backed away from him until her back hit the wall. When Lucky saw the fear in her eyes, he backed off, lowering his voice. "She said she wanted to stand on her own… but she's not doing that." 

"Lucky…" 

"I SAW them together. They were on the docks, Em." Tears started to form in his eyes and he angrily wiped them away. "They went to her studio together! He had his hand on her back!" 

Emily shook her head, not knowing what to do. "I'm sorry Lucky." 

"DON'T SAY THAT!" When Emily jumped again, Lucky looked at her, his eyes glassy with tears. "That's what she said… last night… She broke up with me, Em… she broke up with me so that she could be with Jason without feeling guilty." 

"Lucky," Emily tried again. "You don't know that. Maybe you saw wrong." 

Shaking his head, Lucky stared at the floor. When Emily reached for his arm, he jerked away from her. "Leave me alone, Emily. I want to be alone." 

Sadly, Emily nodded, keeping her eyes on him as she slowly made her way down the hall. Before she reached the stairs, she looked back at him, watching as he turned towards his door, unlocking it before stepping inside. 

When he walked into his room, his eyes landed on the many paintings that adorned his walls. 

Elizabeth's paintings. 

His face contorted in anger as he ripped the paintings off the walls, breaking the frames as he threw them on the ground, pulling on the canvases until they ripped in his hands. Shaking, he collapsed next to his bed, crying. 

"I hate you both for doing this to me… I hate you both." 

* * *

(Later that night) 

Elizabeth stepped cautiously inside Kelly's. Her shift was starting in a few minutes but she didn't want to be there. Her eyes wandered towards the stairs and she wondered if Lucky was there, if he would be confronting her during her shift. She hoped not. 

She didn't know if she'd be able to handle hurting him anymore. 

Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth walked towards the counter, reaching for her apron. She quickly tied it around her waist, calling into the back room to Tammy to tell her that she was there. 

As Elizabeth stepped towards the coffee machines to make a fresh pot, her foot brushed against something on the floor. Looking down, she realized she was stepping on something… on an envelope. 

Lifting her foot, Elizabeth was surprised to find her own name typed on the front of the cream colored envelope. Her eyes furrowed in confusion, she leaned down, picking it up. Turning it over in her hand, she tried to find a return address or marking that would tell her who it was from. 

There was nothing. 

Frowning, Elizabeth ripped open the envelope, pulling out a small card. The card had a red heart on the cover and fear started to grip her stomach as she slowly opened it. 

Inside, she found four words that made her feel sick to her stomach. Four words that were another reminder from that night… from her rape. 

_"SHH! NOT A WORD!"_

[Chapter Ten][1]   
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	10. Chapter Ten

The card slowly slipped from her fingers, as if everything were in slow motion. Elizabeth looked down at it, her hand coming up to her mouth as she felt the bile rise in her stomach. 

She looked up, her eyes searching around the place to see if anyone was looking at her. She could see a few customers looking at her oddly, see their mouths moving, but it was as if she had cotton in her ears. She knew they were speaking, but she had no idea what they were saying. 

Stumbling backwards, Elizabeth reached down, snatching up the card. She threw it in her bag, dropping it as quickly as she could, as if it were on fire, and ripped off her apron. 

She couldn't breath, she couldn't think. All she knew was that she needed to get out of there. The walls were closing in around her. 

She faintly heard herself yell out to Tammy as she shrugged her jacket on, hastily throwing her scarf around her neck. She didn't even hear Tammy call out to her, asking if everything was alright. 

Pushing open the doors, Elizabeth stepped out, inhaling the night air. Her lungs greedily accepted the oxygen and she felt like she had just run a marathon. Her hand blindly reached out for support, landing on one of the outdoor tables as she leaned over, gasping for breath. 

Elizabeth looked around for a second before pushing away from the table. All of the reminders she'd been getting were happening at Kelly's. Fear laced through her body as she shivered. It felt like there were hundreds of eyes on her at that moment even though there was no one in sight. 

She needed to get away. 

Near Kelly's, Francis stood, staying close to the building so that the shadows would hide him. He watched as Elizabeth pushed her way out of the diner, leaning against a table for support. She looked up, her eyes frantic and unfocused as she looked around. Immediately, Francis pulled out his cell phone. 

"Tell the Boss we have a problem with Miss Webber again," he said, whispering into the phone. "We're outside Kelly's… she looks terrified." 

There was a sound off to the side and he jerked his head towards it, listening. He heard a couple walking by and once he was sure they were harmless, he turned his attention back to his charge, swearing under his breath at what he saw. 

She was gone. 

* * *

Elizabeth stared out of the window as the cab made its way down the rode. Tears came to her eyes and she quickly brushed them away. She had to be strong. She was on her own now, and she had no one else to depend on… especially since Jason had just left. 

"Why did you have to leave now, Jason," Elizabeth whispered as she hugged herself, burrowing into her coat. The heat was on in the cab but she couldn't keep herself from shivering. 

"What was that, miss?" The cabbie said, peering over his shoulder quickly before putting his eyes back on the road. The young woman had looked completely distressed when he'd picked her up, mumbling to him where she wanted to go before snuggling up near the window, looking out. He tried to not get drawn into his customers, but he couldn't help but feel sorry for this woman. She looked terrible. 

Elizabeth mumbled an answer, telling the driver that she was fine as another shiver took over her body. The cabbie nodded, keeping quiet as he peered at her through the rearview mirror. 

Poor girl. 

As he slowed near the dead end road off to the side, he peered back at the woman. "Are you sure this is the right place?" 

Elizabeth reached into her purse, pulling out the money as she reached for the door handle. "This is it… thank you." 

The cabbie looked through the window of the passenger door. "There's nothing out here, miss. Maybe I should take you back into the city. It can be dangerous in the woods…" 

Elizabeth shook her head. "No, sir… this is where I want to be." 

Shaking his head, the man took her money, sticking it in his money bag. "Whatever you say…" 

Closing the door behind her, Elizabeth watched as the cab turned around, going back in the direction they'd come from before making her way down the road. When she got near the bridge, she stepped off the road, ignoring the fact that the melted snow had turned the grass into nothing more than mud as made her way around the ruined foundation of the old estate. 

Hugging herself with her arms, Elizabeth tried to image the area with a huge mansion here instead of ruins as she walked through the area that used to be the gardens. She pictured it like the Quartermaine mansion, only bigger and more old fashioned. She could see the gardens in her head, with latticework archways marking the entrances. She could picture the roses, lilacs, and ferns lining the area. 

Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth exhaled slowly. Everything was so peaceful here. That was one of the reason she'd come. She needed a place where she felt safe. 

A place where she could feel Jason's presence. 

This was the place she felt him the most. Out of all of the places in Port Charles, she felt his presence here the most. She felt him here even more than she felt him in her studio. They hadn't gone to the gardens a lot together, but this was the one place that she could call theirs. No one else in Port Charles knew about it. Not Lucky, not Emily, not Nikolas… 

The gardens belonged to just her and Jason. 

Taking a seat on one of the only benches left in there, Elizabeth looked around. She could see the shadow of the statues over to her left but it was too dark for her to truly see them. She needed to come during the day so that she could really study them. 

Closing her eyes, Elizabeth breathed deeply as a single tear tricked down her cheek. 

"I need you here, Jason… I need you." 

* * *

"Let me go." 

Jason's jaw clenched as Zander strained against his bonds again, repeating what he'd been saying for the last half hour. 

"I'm under orders to keep you here," Jason said tersely, his teeth clenched. Zander Smith was quickly getting on his nerves. 

"This isn't right man," Zander said, pulling on the bonds that held his arms to the chair. "What do you think Emily's going to do when she finds out you took me, huh? She's going to be furious with you." 

Jason's eyes narrowed. Who did this kid think he was, telling him what his sister would be feeling. "Emily will feel how she feels. Once I explain, she'll make her own decisions one whether or not to be furious." 

Once again Zander strained against the ropes. "You think you know her? You don't know her at all. She-" 

Jason slammed his hand on the table next to him. "Don't try to tell me how my sister feels." 

Zander shook his head. "I don't know why she thinks you're so great. You're nothing but a brain damaged thug who sits around lusting over someone else's girl." 

Jason's jaw clenched as he started counting in his head. People used to tell him to count when he was angry but he had never understood it. How would rattling off numbers make you less angry? But right about now, he was willing to try anything. 

"You think no one sees the looks you give Elizabeth Webber?" Zander continued, watching as Jason glared at the table in front of him. "The night of the Deception Launch party, when Lucky and Elizabeth came home to Kelly's… you couldn't keep your eyes off of her." 

Jason turned his angry glare towards Zander. "Do you know why you're here? Because you don't listen. Well you need to listen now. SHUT UP." 

Turning away from the boy, Jason opened the file in front of him, hoping to ignore Zander by working. It wouldn't bother him so much if Zander weren't so right. 

He did want Elizabeth. 

And it angered him that Zander, someone who knew nothing of him, could see that. It frustrated him because he knew that Elizabeth was still devoted Lucky. It hurt because Elizabeth wasn't with him. 

When he had been gone, he had thought about her. He knew she was with Lucky, but he couldn't stop his thoughts from turning to her. He had walked the streets of Puerto Rico with her in his head and when he went to Italy, it was only worse because everything in Italy reminded him of her. He'd see artists set up their easels along rivers, trying to paint the Eternal City, or he'd see vendors selling the art of nameless people and he'd think of her. It was even worse because while he was there, he knew that he would be coming back to Port Charles soon to help Sonny… 

… and he'd be seeing her again. 

Jason could feel Zander's eyes burning into him and it made him want to go over there and rip the boy's eyes out. 

If only Emily didn't care about Zander so much. 

Jason's fist clenched as he fought the urge to realign Zander's face. He could feel it already; It was going to be a long few days. 

* * *

Francis ran his fingers through is blonde hair. He made his way down the docks, trying to stay in the shadows. He had just been to the studio, he had checked Kelly's, and he'd even sent someone out to Jake's. 

Elizabeth Webber was nowhere to be found. 

"No, no, no," Francis said to himself. Sonny and Jason would have his hide when they found out he lost his charge. He didn't know what would happen, but he knew it wouldn't be good. 

He knew how important Elizabeth was to Jason – all the men knew it. And he'd seen first hand how protective Sonny was of her when he was asked to watch her before, when Sorel was threatening her. Elizabeth had somehow made her way into the hearts of both of his bosses and he knew he'd never hear the end of it for letting her run off. 

Sighing, Francis pulled out his cell phone. Slowly, he looked down at it, trying to gather his courage. Sure, he could stand in front of powerful men like Sonny Corinthos and Joseph Sorel without blinking, and he didn't jump at the sound of gunshots, and he'd lived through explosions, fires, and shootings… 

…But he was scared stiff about making this phone call. 

There was a noise off to his side and Francis looked over with some trepidation. Looking over at a noise is what had gotten him in this position in the first place. He breathed a sigh of relief when Elizabeth came down the stairs of the docks, slowly making her way towards her studio. 

He watched as she moved in front of him, her legs dragging as if she'd been walking for miles. She yawned, covering her mouth with her hand. 

Rushing to keep up with her but staying in the shadows at the same time, Francis followed her to her studio waiting until he was sure she was inside before looking upward and whispering two little words. 

"Thank you." 

[Chapter Eleven][1]   
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   [1]: http://www.envy.nu/pallasfic/11.html
   [2]: http://www.envy.nu/pallasfic/



	11. Chapter Eleven

Elizabeth yawned as she walked through the park. Her muscles ached from walking home from the gardens the night before but it was such a nice day that she couldn't help but make her way out into the park. She didn't know what had possessed her when she thought she could walk back to her studio; the ride to the gardens always seemed so short on Jason's bikes. 

Chuckling to herself, Elizabeth walked over to the gazebo in the middle of the park. She ran her hands over the smooth wood before stepping inside and sitting down. 

She had the morning shift at Kelly's but that was the last place she wanted to be. Sighing, Elizabeth gathered her strength, straightening her shoulders. She had to go, especially after running out on her shift the night before. 

"Suck it up, Webber," Elizabeth said to herself. 

Elizabeth made her way to Kelly's pausing at the door for a moment before going inside. She swore to herself that if she saw any strange cards with her name on them, that she would not be picking them up today. She would finish her shift at Kelly's and then go to her studio to paint and that would be it. There would be no strange occurrences today. 

"Maybe if I keep saying that, I'll come true," she muttered to herself as she tied the apron around her waist. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed the coffee can and made her way towards the customers. 

Ten minutes later, Elizabeth was standing at the counter, filling up the sugar jars, when the door swung open. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw jeans and a leather jacket and she immediately looked up, a smile on her face. 

"You're back!" 

Jeremy raised his eyebrows, looking around to check if someone was standing behind him. He noticed Elizabeth's face fall slightly and he frowned. "Are you expecting someone?" 

Elizabeth forced a smile on her face, trying to hide her disappointment. "No, no… I just thought you were someone else for a second." She watched Jeremy as he walked towards the counter and she noticed that his leather jacket was longer, reaching past his waist and his jeans were baggier than Jason's. 

"Your boyfriend?" Jeremy prodded. 

Shaking her head, Elizabeth fiddled with the jars in front of her. "Just someone I need to talk to." 

Jeremy nodded, looking serious for a moment before his face broke out into a grin. "So what does a guy have to do around here to get some breakfast." 

Outside of Kelly's Francis tried to look through the window without looking conspicuous. He heard footsteps behind him and immediately recognized Sonny and Johnny's voices. Straightening, he moved out of the shadows to meet his boss, making sure to keep checking through the window to make sure Elizabeth was ok. 

"How's it going," Sonny asked as he stepped up to Francis. Sonny's eyes drifted to the window and he saw Elizabeth standing behind the counter, a customer sitting in front of her. 

Francis frowned slightly as he followed Sonny's gaze. "Do you know that kid?" 

Sonny's eyebrows raised but he kept his eyes on Elizabeth, watching as she laughed. "Is something up?" 

Slowly, Francis shook his head, his eyes quickly scanning the area out of habit before turning to focus on his boss. "I don't know… but I do know that guy stood outside for a good five minutes watching Elizabeth before he walked inside. I don't know what he was doing…" 

Sonny frowned, turning back to look into the window for a second. "What's your gut say?" 

"It didn't feel right… I'm not getting a good feeling about that guy." 

Sonny shook his head, exhaling forcefully. "Have you seen him before?" 

"Once," Francis said, nodding. "He came into Kelly's once before. He sat down with Miss Webber… He was looking at her a lot, but I figured… they're about the same age, and he's a young man…" 

"But now…" Sonny prompted. 

Francis looked back through the window. "He was out here watching her, Sonny. I didn't like it…" 

Nodding, Sonny took a deep breath, motioning for Johnny to step up. "Johnny…" Before he could finish, the door to Kelly's swung open and all three men stepped back, blending into the shadows as Jeremy stepped out. 

"See you in class, Eliza!" Jeremy called out over his shoulder. 

The men waited until he was completely out of their view before stepping out again. Sonny looked off in the direction Jeremy had gone in. "He goes to school with her… Check it out, Johnny. Call Benny. I want to know everything there is about him." He turned to Francis. "Keep your eyes open." Motioning for the men to stay outside the door, Sonny stepped inside the diner. 

Elizabeth looked up when the door opened and she smiled at Sonny, watching as he made his way towards her, taking his leather gloves off as he walked. 

He smiled, flashing his dimples as he leaned against the counter. "Hey… how are you?" 

Smiling, Elizabeth motioned to the coffee pot in her hand. "I'm good… coffee?" 

Nodding, Sonny flipped over the cup in front of him, watching while she carefully poured him a cup. 

"You didn't have to check up on me." 

Sonny's head jerked up and he saw Elizabeth smirking at him. A slow smile came to his face. "What makes you think I'm checking up on you?" 

She shook her head, a smile on her face as she leaned forward. "I know Jason had to leave for a little," she said quietly. "I also know he probably asked you to look out for me. He said Francis is guarding me, but I haven't seen him yet. I know he's out there though…" 

Sonny smiled. "You know Jason well." 

Shrugging, Elizabeth cleared away some of the dishes along the counter. "It's something he'd do. Jason looks out for his… his friends. I figured you'd be coming by soon." 

Watching her wipe off the counter with a cloth, Sonny leaned back in his seat. "I didn't just come here because Jason asked me to, you know that, right? I made you a promise a long time ago that I'd keep you safe." 

Elizabeth pushed a piece of her hair out of her face. "Sonny, you said it yourself, that was a long time ago… things have changed." 

One of his eyebrows raised but he remained silent. 

"For one thing," she said, continuing when it looked like he wasn't going to say anything. "You're married now… to Carly. And her and I aren't exactly buddy-buddy. And I know she'd be mad if she knew you were here-" 

"Let me deal with Carly," Sonny said, holding up his hand. He leaned forward on the counter, lowering his voice. "Elizabeth, I don't want to see you hurt. You… you remember in the hospital after Carly's… after… when she fell down the stairs at the Quartermaine's?" 

Elizabeth nodded, watching as Sonny took a deep breath. "You held me," he said simply. "I don't forget things like that. I'm not going to let someone hurt you if I can help it." 

Looking down, Elizabeth took a shaky breath. "Jason said if I needed something, that I should go to you." 

"He was right." 

Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth looked up. "What did Jason tell you?" 

Sonny rubbed his hand over his chin. "Just that he wanted a guard on you… that someone was leaving you reminders of something…" 

Elizabeth looked down. When she looked back up again, he saw something different in her eyes. He wasn't sure what it was… but it was different. 

"A couple of years ago… I was attacked… in the park." She inhaled deeply. "I was raped." 

Sonny sucked in a breath sharply, his eyes widening. "Elizabeth… I…" 

"It's ok, Sonny… I'm fine now." Elizabeth played with the cloth in her hand. "Someone has been leaving me… reminders of that night. Little things that only a few people would recognize as having meaning." 

Sonny nodded. "Does Jason know about all of this?" 

"I told him about the rape a long time ago and… and obviously he knows about the reminders." Elizabeth shook her head. "I thought I saw my… my rapist the other night, but Jason says he's still in jail so I couldn't have. My mind's probably playing tricks on me." 

Sonny stared at the young woman in front of him with a new found respect. "I'm sorry, Elizabeth." 

Elizabeth looked at him. "I don't need your apologies, Sonny. You didn't do anything… and I'm past it… I told you, it happened a couple of years ago." 

"I'm sure you have. I'm sorry someone's throwing it in your face…" Sonny rested his chin in his palm, grabbing Elizabeth's arm with his other hand. "We'll keep you safe, Elizabeth… I give you my word." 

She smiled, giving his hand a small squeeze. "I know you will." 

Nodding, Sonny looked down at his untouched coffee. He pulled out a twenty and placed it on the counter. "I need to get going… keep the change." 

Elizabeth tried to resist but he wouldn't let her. Smiling, he pulled on his gloves and made his way out of the diner. As soon as he stood in front of his two men, his smile faded. 

Sonny turned towards Francis. "Don't let her out of your sight, Francis. You keep her safe." 

Francis nodded. "Is there anything I need to know?" 

Looking down, Sonny's mouth twitched. When he looked back up, his eyes shone with determination. "Nothing touches her, you hear me. NOTHING. If something is wrong, you call, no matter what the time is. If there's a situation, you call for backup and you intervene." 

Sonny's eyes drifted to the window and he watched Elizabeth interact with some customers. "The stakes are higher now… she's not to be hurt anymore, got it. She's protected no matter what." 

Frances had a feeling something was going on, but he didn't know what. His gaze followed his boss's and his eyes landed on Miss Webber. 

"She's be protected, Sonny," he said softly. "I'll protect her with my life." 

* * *

Elizabeth looked down at her wristwatch as she rubbed off the counter one last time. The lunch crowd would be coming in about ten minutes. Stepping back, she untied her apron. 

"Tammy," she called out. "I'm leaving. I'll see you for my shift tomorrow night." 

"Elizabeth wait," Tammy said from the back room. "The delivery man just brought something for you." 

Elizabeth frowned as Tammy came out with a large bouquet of red roses. Who would be sending me roses… > 

"They're beautiful, aren't they sweetie?" Tammy said as she placed the bouquet on the counter in front of Elizabeth. She grinned at Elizabeth playfully. "Lucky's such a romantic." 

Shaking her head, Elizabeth was about to remind Tammy that her and Lucky were no longer together when she realized that the other woman had no clue about the break up. No one did. She had wanted to tell Jason when she saw him on the docks, but she had forgotten about it when he said he was leaving. 

For some reason, a reason she couldn't put her finger on, Elizabeth wanted Jason to be the first to know. Probably because Jason knows that independent person I want to be… he would be proud of me for finding her again. He's one of the only people who respected her. > 

Tammy nudged Elizabeth on the arm. "Sometimes I wish Mike would do stuff like this more often, but he's romantic in his own way." She pulled a card out from the flowers and tapped Elizabeth's hand with it. "Aren't you going to read the card?" 

A feeling of foreboding filled her as Elizabeth reached for the card. Lucky had been so hurt when they had broken up… she knew that these roses weren't from him. 

And anyway… Lucky only gave her white roses. Never red. 

Opening the card, Elizabeth stiffened as she read the words. 

Happy Valentine's Day 

Tammy's brows furrowed. "I don't understand, sweetie. Did you and Lucky miss Valentine's Day or something? It was months ago…" 

Elizabeth slowly put the card back in the envelope, all the while trying to keep her breathing normal. She didn't want to make Tammy worry. 

"Elizabeth?" 

Blinking, Elizabeth looked up at the older woman. "Can you keep the flowers here for me? I… I have to go." Backing away from the counter, she rushed out of the diner. 

As soon as she made it out of the doors, Elizabeth looked around. "Francis?" 

Francis came out of hiding immediately. He knew from looking at his charge that something was not right. "What is it Miss Webber." 

Elizabeth hugged her arms around her body and her hand created a fist around the card. "Can you take me to Sonny?" 

[Home][1]

   [1]: http://www.envy.nu/pallasfic/



	12. Chapter Twelve

"You should have seen Michael in the park today," Carly said, running her hand through Michael's short, red hair. "He couldn't get enough of the swings, right little man?" 

"Did you take the guards with you," Sonny asked, leaning back in his seat. "You didn't leave their sight, did you?" 

Carly sent him a withering glare. "I'm TRYING to tell you about Michael's day at the park, Sonny." 

Sonny put his head in his hand. He needed this trial to be done. He needed this to be over so that he could concentrate again. "Carly-" 

"You know what," Carly said, handing Michael over to Leticia. "Forget it." She moved around and grabbed her coat, throwing it over her arm. 

"Carly…" 

"Do you know where Jason is? He's probably at Jakes. I'll just go talk to him. HE'LL want to know about Michael's day." 

"CARLY!" 

Glaring, Carly looked over at her husband. "I know what you're going to say. I'll take my guards with me, I promise." 

Sonny paused. "Jason's not at Jakes." 

When Sonny didn't say anything more, Carly yelled out in frustration. "Well where is he?!" 

"It's-" 

There was a knock on the penthouse door and Carly nearly growled as Johnny peeked his head in. He looked at Carly for a second before turning his attention towards Sonny. 

"Boss, you have a moment?" 

Sonny sighed. "Bring whoever it is in, Johnny." 

When Johnny hesitated, Sonny looked over at him before turning to Carly. "Go upstairs." 

Carly's eyes winded with anger. "We're not done talking, Sonny." 

"It's business, Carly. Go upstairs!" 

"NO!" Walking over to the couch, Carly sat down with a huff, crossing her arms defiantly over her chest. 

Sonny looked upward for a moment before shaking his head and walking over to the door. He stepped outside the penthouse and pulled the door closed behind him. "What is it, Johnny, and it better be good." 

Johnny nodded. "It's Francis and Miss Webber. I didn't want to bring them in with Mrs. Corinthos in there…" 

"No, no… that was good. You were right. Where are they?" 

When Johnny pointed over towards the elevator, Sonny made his way there, smiling when Elizabeth look up at him. "Long time no see," Sonny joked. 

When he saw the look on her face, he stopped joking. "What happened, Elizabeth?" 

Elizabeth bit her lip nervously. "I… There were…" Thrusting out her hand, she held the crumpled card out for Sonny to take. 

He studied her for a moment as he picked it up. Opening it, he frowned at what he saw, not understanding the message. "Happy Valentine's Day?" 

Elizabeth shifted from foot to foot, her eyes darting over to where Francis and Johnny stood. "Uh… remember what I told you about in Kelly's today? The… attack?" 

Sonny nodded. 

She swallowed hard. "It, uh… it happened on… on Valentine's Day." 

Immediately, Sonny's eyes jerked down to the card, reading over the words again as a sick feeling entered his stomach. What kind of monster reminds a woman about a night like that. He had known reminders were being left for her; she had told him herself, but seeing one, holding it in his hand, made it seem all the more real. 

And it made him want to protect her even more. 

Elizabeth looked up at Sonny and she felt her chin begin to tremble. She was trying so hard to be strong but looking at Sonny, his concern evident in her eyes… she didn't know how much longer she could pretend to be strong. 

"I didn't know what to do," she said slowly. 

"I know… I know…" Sonny sighed heavily. "You did the right thing – coming to me. I'll take care of you, Elizabeth." 

* * *

Jason slowed his bike in the alley, kicking down the kickstand as he turned it off. Heaving a sigh of relief, he dismounted, taking in the cool night air. 

It felt great to be out of the safe house and away from Zander. 

The trial had started earlier that day, and Jason had been running around, fixing the loose ends since he'd dropped Zander off at the courthouse to make sure no one found out where the kid had been. 

Stepping out of the alley, Jason's gaze went directly to Elizabeth's studio and he started towards it. He wanted to talk to her, to see how she was. He hated the fact that he was forced to leave when she needed him, and he wanted to see that she was ok. 

Standing in front of her studio door, he knocked, frowning when he didn't get an answer. His instincts were telling him something was up. He tried knocking again before pulling out his key chain, reaching for the key Elizabeth had refused to let him give back to her after he'd been shot. 

Opening the door to the studio, his frown got deeper when he didn't see her. Everything seemed in place, except for the fact that Elizabeth wasn't there. Sighing, Jason turned around and was about to leave when he noticed something. 

The heater was off. 

He hadn't noticed the coldness of the studio when he'd walked in. The cold never bothered him, but now, it hit him full force and the fact that the heater was off and that it was so cold could mean only one thing. 

Elizabeth hadn't been in her studio in a while. 

Pulling out his cell phone, Jason quickly dialed Francis's number as he made his way out of the studio, shaking his head in frustration when he got a busy signal. He rushed to his bike and was about to get on when his eye caught the neon sign that lit the window of Kelly's. 

Jason froze. If Elizabeth wasn't staying in her studio… then there was only one other place he could think of that she would be living in; her room at Kelly's. 

The room she shared with Lucky. 

Taking a deep breath, Jason quickly walked towards the diner. If she was there with Lucky, then he could deal with it, but he needed to know that she was ok. With all that had been going on, he just needed to see her, and make sure she was fine. 

Stepping into the diner, Jason's eyes scanned the place, part of him disappointed when he didn't see Elizabeth inside, and part of him glad. He didn't want her to be there. 

"Jason?" 

Looking up, Jason saw Emily waving him over from behind the counter. She leaned forward when he went over to her, wrapping her arms around him. "Thank you for protecting Zander," she whispered as Jason pulled back. "Sonny told me that you took him and were watching out for him." 

"I didn't do much." His eyes wandered towards the stairs. 

Emily followed her brother's gaze and frowned. "Is something wrong?" 

Jason sighed. "I'm looking for Elizabeth?" 

"She moved out, Jason." 

Nodding, Jason slid into one of the chairs at the counter. "I know, I checked her studio but she wasn't there. I thought maybe she'd changed her mind about living alone and moved back in… in with Lucky." 

Emily's eyebrows furrowed as she looked at Jason in oddly. "I… I don't think she'd be doing that anytime soon," she said slowly. 

This time, it was Jason who gave the odd look. "What are you talking about?" 

One of Emily's eyebrows raised. "You don't know? I thought Elizabeth would have told you." 

"Told me what?" 

Emily leaned forward again, resting her arms on the counter. "Elizabeth… a few days back she… her and Lucky broke up." 

Jason let the surprise show on his face. "What?" 

"I know, I didn't believe it either. I wouldn't have if Lucky hadn't told me himself. He came in here, angry and stuff, and I followed him upstairs and he said Elizabeth broke up with him. He trashed his room… it was terrible, Jason." 

"Have you talked to Elizabeth?" 

Emily looked down. "Not really. With the trial, and her moving into her studio, we haven't really seen each other." 

"Do you know when this happened?" 

"The day before you left to watch Zander." 

Jason blinked. "I… Emily, I need to go." 

Emily frowned, but she still nodded. "Come visit me again soon, ok? We can talk more." 

Standing, Jason promised to visit before leaning forward and kissing her forehead and making his was out of the diner. Once he was outside, he frowned. 

"Elizabeth… what is going on?" 

* * *

The elevators to the penthouses opened and Jason stepped out, making a beeline towards Sonny's penthouse. He noticed Johnny wasn't there and he shook his head. 

What was going on? 

Before he could make it to Sonny's, the door to Alexis's opened and Sonny stepped out. He looked up at Jason, not at all surprised to see him there. 

"I was just about to call you. She's in here." 

Jason's brows furrowed. "Alexis?" 

Sonny shook his head, a faint smile coming to his face. "Elizabeth. That IS why you're here, right?" 

"Is something wrong? Did something happen?" 

Holding up his hand, Sonny motioned to Alexis's penthouse with his head. "Why don't you go in there and ask her yourself." 

Not wasting any time, Jason knocked, waiting impatiently for Alexis to open it. "What's going on," he asked, as soon as Alexis opened the door. 

Alexis sighed, holding up her hand. "I don't know. Sonny came to me yesterday and asked if Elizabeth could stay here. She's upstairs in the guest bedroom." 

Without another word, Alexis stepped aside, watching as Jason hurried up the stairs. 

The door to the guestroom was open slightly and Jason peeked inside as he tapped lightly on the doorframe. He saw Elizabeth turn towards him, her face lighting up when she caught sight of him peeking inside the door. 

"Jason!" 

Pushing herself off the bed, she ran to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. She was holding on extra tight, he was confused, and he knew something was going on, but instead of asking questions, he just held her. 

Pulling back slightly, Elizabeth pushed her hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear. "You were only gone a few days but I thought you'd never get back." 

Jason watched as she walked back towards the bed and sat down, tucking her legs under her body. "How are you?" he asked slowly as he pulled a chair over to the bed. 

Elizabeth looked down, inhaling shakily. "I got another reminder yesterday." 

Jason stiffened in his chair but he didn't say anything. 

"Red roses… they had a card saying 'Happy Valentine's Day' with them." 

"Where did you get them?" 

Elizabeth shifted on the bed. "Kelly's… I went to Sonny immediately and he had me stay here. I feel like I'm imposing on Alexis but she keeps saying it's nothing. Wait a minute – why don't you know about all of this already? Didn't Sonny tell you anything?" 

Jason shook his head. "I went to your studio earlier, and Kelly's, looking for you. When I couldn't find you, I came here for answers, and Sonny said to talk to you." 

"You went to Kelly's?" 

Jason nodded, looking her straight in the eye. "I thought you might be there with Lucky," he said quietly. "But Emily was there and she told me… that you and Lucky are over." 

Elizabeth looked down and Jason saw disappointment on her face. "Emily told you?" 

Flinching, Jason set his jaw. Obviously, she hadn't wanted him to find out. "Yes." 

Sighing, Elizabeth looked up. "I wish she hadn't." She leaned forward and reached for Jason's hand, dropping it when she noticed how stiff it was. "Uh… I had wanted to tell you myself." 

Jason's gaze burned into her. "Why didn't you?" 

When Elizabeth looked at him, she saw something in his eyes that she couldn't identify. "I was going to… the night you told me you had to go away. But I got worried when you said you had to leave, and I forgot." 

Jason took a deep breath, cracking a small smile. "Are you ok?" 

Elizabeth looked into his blue eyes. It would be so easy to lose myself in those eyes. > She shook her head slightly, as if to push those thoughts out as she tried to concentrate on Jason's question. "It was hard… hurting him. But I couldn't keep lying. Lucky and I were trying to hold onto something that wasn't there anymore. And it wasn't fair to either of us." 

"You didn't answer my question." 

Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth chuckled slightly. "I will be, one this whole mess is over with." 

Jason nodded. "This will end, Elizabeth. I promise you that. I'll find who is doing this to you." 

"I know you will. I just hate this. I… I feel like I'm not safe anymore. Everything always seems to happen at Kelly's and I don't like feeling like I'm not safe there." 

Reaching out, Jason cupped her cheek with his hand. "I'm sorry." 

His gaze was intense and she felt her breath catch in her throat. "You have nothing to be sorry for. In fact, you're the one person who makes it better." 

Jason's eyes followed his fingers as he pushed her hair out of her face. "I want you to feel safe again." 

Elizabeth held out a breath she hadn't know she'd been holding. "I feel safe with you." 

Jason's gaze dropped down to her lips and Elizabeth noticed for the first time just how close they'd gotten to each other. She had moved to the very edge of the bed and his knees were touching the mattress. Licking her lips, she watched as he leaned forward slightly. 

"Jason? Elizabeth?" 

The door opened and both Jason and Elizabeth jumped back when Alexis poked her head inside. Jason's hand dropped from her face and Elizabeth's cheeks reddened. 

"Uh… sorry to interrupt, but Sonny said he wants to speak with you, Jason." 

Elizabeth nervously ran her hands through her hair. "Right… right." She jumped off the bed. "You should go…" She glanced at Jason, watching as he rubbed his hand over his face as he walked out. 

As Jason closed the door to the guestroom, he leaned against it for a second, heaving a sigh. Inside, Elizabeth was shaking her head at herself. 

Frowning, Elizabeth realized she wasn't sure if she was relieved Alexis had walked in, or disappointed. She fell back on the bed, whispering to herself. 

"Both." 

[Chapter Thirteen][1]   
[Home][2]

   [1]: http://www.envy.nu/pallasfic/13.html
   [2]: http://www.envy.nu/pallasfic/



	13. Chapter Thirteen

Jason stepped out of Alexis's penthouse, surprised to find Sonny waiting in the hallway for him. 

"Carly's in there," Sonny said, jerking his thumb towards Penthouse 4. "We can talk out here." 

"Does she know about Elizabeth staying in the building?" 

Sonny smirked. "If she knew Elizabeth was staying in the same building, do you think it would be this quiet?" 

"She can't know about this right now, Sonny. Elizabeth is going through a lot right now, and I don't want her to have to worry about Carly on top of-" 

"I know, I know," Sonny said, holding his hand up to stop Jason. "My main concern right now is making sure Elizabeth is comfortable and safe. For now, Carly doesn't need to know." 

Sighing, Jason ran his hands over his face. "We need to find this person, Sonny. He needs to pay for doing this to her." 

"We will, Jason." 

"She's scared, Sonny… she tried to act like it doesn't bother her, but I can see that she's lying." He sighed, leaning against the hallway wall. "I want this over. I don't want her to have to lie anymore." 

"She-" 

"Sonny?" 

Both Sonny and Jason jumped at the sound of Carly's voice. Shaking his head, Jason looked down. He was getting distracted. He hadn't even heard her open the penthouse door and step outside. 

Carly smiled at Jason as she walked up, wrapping her arm around Sonny's waist. "What are the two of you doing here, talking in the hallway?" Her voice was teasing as she grinned up at both men. "Talking about me?" 

Sonny and Jason shared a look over Carly's head. "Business." 

Frowning, Carly rolled her eyes playfully. " I KNOW you're lying, Sonny. I heard you say something about a woman. You said 'she,' I heard you. And I know you don't involve women in you business." Her last statement had a bit of resentment in it and Sonny leaned his head back, letting out a sigh. 

"Carly… I thought you learned not to eavesdrop." 

She glared, punching him lightly in the stomach. "I wasn't eavesdropping, I was walking out of my HOME into the hallway and I happened to walk in on a conversation between my husband, and my best friend… and I KNOW they were talking about me." 

The door to he elevator slid open and all three looked towards it as Johnny stepped off, a small black bag in his had. "Boss, I brought more of Miss-" 

Johnny froze when he saw Carly. His eyes darted over to Sonny and then Jason, before landing on Carly, who looked up at him curiously. 

"I…" He looked at Sonny for help but the man was just shaking his head to the ceiling. "I have Ms… Davis's papers. Right…" Holding up the bag, he tried shrugged. 

"Why does Alexis keep papers in a duffel bag?" Carly asked, shaking her head. "Sonny why do you keep a lawyer who obviously don't know how to do her job." 

Sonny sighed, running his hands over his face. "Alexis is a good attorney." 

"But Sonny-" 

"You know what?" Jason asked, cutting in as he grabbed the bag from Johnny's hands. "I'm going to take this into… Alexis. I need to talk to her." 

Sonny nodded pulling on Carly's hand to take her to the door. Carly's eyes lingered after Jason and when she looked back at her husband, she was frowning. "What is that about? Since when is Jason spending time with Alexis Davis?" 

"Carly…" 

Carly's eyes widened. "Oh no, Sonny… tell me it's not true. I told him not to fall for Elizabeth Webber and I was hoping he'd listen but…" She walked into the penthouse and waited for the door to close before she turned towards her husband. 

"Don't tell me Jason likes Alexis!" 

* * *

Jason stood in front of the guestroom door in Alexis's penthouse. He leaned against it for a second before straightening and giving a small knock. The door opened a moment later and Elizabeth stepped back, wordlessly letting him in. 

There were papers crumpled up haphazardly around the room and her sketchbook lay on the middle of the floor. "Is everything ok?" 

Blushing, Elizabeth rushed past Jason, leaning over to pick up the papers. She hastily threw them in the garbage before turning back towards him. "Everything's fine… fine…" She looked down at his hands and noticed the bag. "Are those my things? Johnny said he was going to bring some more stuff and…" 

She trailed off when Jason grabbed her hand and her eyes immediately went up to his. His blue gaze burned into her. 

"Elizabeth…" 

"I'm working on a new painting," she said, stepping away from him. His gaze was too intense and she needed to step back. "I'm trying to work on the sketches but it's not going very well. It's just been so hard, you know? I haven't been having any ideas lately, and I can't force them or anything and… it's just frustrating." 

Jason caught her arm again and once more, she found herself gazing into his eyes, and this time, she couldn't pull away, even if she had wanted to. "Elizabeth…" 

"I'm trying to be strong here, Jason," she whispered, unable to take her eyes off of his. 

"You don't have to be strong around me." 

"I keep thinking about… who would do this to me? Does someone hate me that much?" 

Jason's hand moved to the back of her head and he pulled her closer until she was in his arms, her head tucked under his chin. "We'll figure this out." 

He felt her shake in his arms and her voice trembled when she spoke. "I can't be strong much longer. I can't…" 

Rocking slightly, Jason held her, feeling the wetness of her tears on his chest. "You don't have to be strong anymore, Elizabeth… I can be strong enough for the both of us." 

He felt her shoulders shake violently as a sob escaped her and he held her as she cried. Her legs gave out from under her and caught her, the two of them slowly sliding to the floor a second later. He moved back and forth, his hand running through her hair in an attempt to comfort her as she cried. 

When her sobbed quieted, Jason pulled back, cupping her face with both hands. His thumbs ran over his cheeks to wipe her tears, his eyes following their movement. Without a word, he picked her up, placing her in the bed and wrapping the blankets around her. Elizabeth snuggled into the warmth of the bed, closing her eyes lightly. 

When she felt Jason pull away, she reached out, grabbing his hand with her own. Her eyes opened and she looked up at him, her eyes still shimmering from her tears. "Don't leave me…" 

Jason nodded, reaching to pull the desk chair towards the bed. Sitting down, he scooted the chair closer to the bed and he waited for Elizabeth to close her eyes before he leaned back. 

Reaching out, he grabbed her hands with his own. He felt her squeeze it gently before he shifted, letting their fingers intertwine as their arms dangled between the two of them. 

* * *

Jeremy whistled softly to himself as he walked down he docks away from Kelly's. Elizabeth hadn't been there that night, but he was sure he'd see her tomorrow. 

He was counting on it. 

Jogging up the stairs, he had just turned the corner when a pair of hands came out from behind, pulling him off into an alleyway. A hand clamped over his mouth and another one pushed hard into his stomach. 

The hands let him go and Jeremy straightened, glaring when he saw the person in front of him. "What the hell are you doing? Are you trying to scare the crap out of me?" 

The man frowned, shaking his head. "I've got a message for you, Barker… from Mr. Sorel." 

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	14. Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

"You've been slacking, Barker." 

Jeremy shook his head, shifting from foot to foot as his eyes darted around the alley. "Look man, I'm doing the best I can. This is difficult." 

The other man crossed his arms over his head. "That's unacceptable. Mr. Sorel needs your job to be completed ASAP." 

"This is hard, ok? It's not everyday I'm asked to ruin some girl's life. I don't even understand why I'm doing this." 

The man glared and Jeremy took a step back. "You're doing this because you've been told to." 

Jeremy sighed. "But WHY? Why are were torturing this girl? What does Sorel want with her, huh? She's just a little college student." 

The other man rolled his eyes. "How many times do you have to be told this?" The man spoke slowly and internally, Jeremy groaned. He was being spoken to as if he were twelve. 

"If you hurt Elizabeth Webber, that hurts Jason Morgan AND Sonny Corinthos. Hurt both of them, and they are less likely to be worried about Mr. Sorel." 

Jeremy shook his head. This whole thing was out of hand. "What does Elizabeth Webber have to do with Sonny and Jason, huh? I've never seen her around them." 

"Then obviously you weren't looking good enough. Corinthos has one of his best guards on her! She is important to both of them, and that means she's important to us." 

Rubbing his hands through his hair, Jeremy sighed. "I know you're all trying to get Sorel out of jail and everything, but isn't there another way? Why do you have to hurt Elizabeth?" 

The man shook his head. "It's already been decided. This is the way it's going down. Now get more information on Webber's past and USE it against her. Jason Morgan needs to be distracted if we're going to get the boss out of jail." 

Jeremy sighed in defeat. There was too much at stake. He was in too deep and now there was nothing he could do about it. "Fine, fine… I'll get more info tomorrow…" 

"You'd better not mess up, Barker." 

Jeremy watched as the man strolled out of the alley and he leaned against the brick wall. "I won't… I can't…" 

(The next morning) 

The light was just beginning to peek in through the blinds and Elizabeth shifted, her arm covering her face in an attempt to stay asleep. Rolling over onto her side, she froze when she felt her hand brush up against something hard. 

Something warm and hard. 

Tired, she kept her eyes closed as she ran her hand along the object, trying to figure out what it was. 

Straightening in the chair, Jason smirked as he watched Elizabeth's sleep hand moved slowly over his knee. There was a frown on her face from not knowing what she was touching, but she stubbornly kept her eyes shut. 

Letting out a frustrated groan, Elizabeth finally opened her eyes, rubbing the back of her hand against them to get the sleep out. When her eyes finally focused, she froze, not able to look away from the jean-covered knee cap in front of her. 

Jason's jean-covered knee cap. 

A warm blush rushed to her cheeks and Elizabeth let her face fall forward on the bed when she heard Jason's amused chuckle. 

"Did you sleep well?" 

She could hear the smile in his voice and it just made her feel even more embarrassed. Elizabeth pushed her face deeper in the pillows, muffling her voice slightly when she finally spoke. "Ugh… can we turn back time and take back those last few minutes? Please?" 

She could hear Jason laugh and she felt him move out of the chair. "You can't go back in time." 

Elizabeth groaned again. "I'm so embarrassed." 

Jason looked over at the bed. Her body was covered with the blankets and her face was shoved into the pillows. "It was just my knee." 

Elizabeth head jerked up off the pillows, and if possible, her blush intensified. Jason caught her eye and smiled. He didn't seem phased by her little exploration of his knee cap, so she let out a small laugh. 

Sitting up, she pushed the blankets off, tucking her legs under herself. "Thank you… for staying." 

"You asked me to," he said simply. 

Elizabeth looked down for a second before looking back at him. "I know… but I didn't expect you to stay the whole night." 

"Are you upset that I did?" 

His gaze was intense again but Elizabeth couldn't look away. "No." 

Keeping his eyes locked on hers, Jason walked over to the bed, kneeling down. With their height difference, his kneeling brought them to the same level. One of his hands reached out, pushing some of her hair out of her face and his gaze tracked his movements. "Your hair's messy." 

Elizabeth blushed again. "Bed head," she said, reaching up to try to tame her unruly locks. Jason blocked her, pushing her hands back down. He reached around her head, his fingers running through her hair. 

Holding her breath, Elizabeth closed her eyes, concentrating on the feeling of Jason's hands against her scalp and the gentle motion he used as he ran his fingers through, from root to end. 

When she opened her eyes, she realized that they were much closer. He had pulled her closer to the edge of the bed without her even noticing. Elizabeth's breath caught in her throat as Jason's hands moved to rest on the sides of her face. 

"Jason," she whispered as his face moved closer to her own. 

Jason's fingers lightly moved over skin and Elizabeth felt her own hands coming up to grip his wrists. Jason moved closer until the tip of his nose brushed against hers. He felt her shudder slightly, but she didn't pull away so he didn't stop. 

With his thumb, he pulled lightly on her chin, slightly separating her lips. His head tilted to the side slightly and he moved closer. 

Before his lips reached hers, the alarm clock on the nightstand rang out, causing both of them to jump in surprise. Elizabeth was dazed for a moment, but she quickly snapped out of it, crawling across the bed to turn the alarm off. Nervously, she pushed her hair out of her face, freezing for a second when she realized that it was her hair that had started it all. 

Part of her wanted to grab a hair tie and pull her short locks up and out of her face, but another part wanted to mess it up so that Jason could fix it again. 

Confused, Elizabeth slowly moved towards the center of the bed, watching out of the corner of her eye as Jason stood, rubbing his hands over his face. 

"Jason?" 

"I'm sorry, Elizabeth." 

He sighed. He should have known better. She just broke up with her Lucky, and he knew how hard it was for her… and here he was, unable to stop himself when he was around her. Elizabeth needed him and the last thing he wanted was for him to do something that would make her feel uncomfortable… no matter how much he wanted it. 

She took a deep breath. "You didn't do anything wrong." 

Jason turned towards the bed and his gaze locked on her. "Are you sure?" 

Elizabeth held his stare strongly, but her voice came out as only a whisper. "Yes." She looked down when his look became to intense and cleared her throat. "You… I… we both wanted that just now." 

For a moment, no one spoke. Finally, Jason walked back towards the bed. "Are you ok?" 

When Elizabeth looked up at him, Jason saw tears in her eyes. "I can't do this right now. With… with these notes I keep getting, and Lucky and… it wouldn't be fair to you." 

"You don't get to say what's fair for me." 

"Then it wouldn't be fair for me." Elizabeth took a deep breath. "Jason, I'm so confused." 

Stepping closer, Jason lifted his hand to touch her but froze for a second before putting his hand back down. "I just want you happy again. If it's with me, great. If it's with Lucky or someone else, I can deal with that… I just want you happy." 

"A part of me loves Lucky," Elizabeth said. "And that part is… is dying because Lucky and I broke up… But another part of me wants… wants to see the wind again." 

Elizabeth wiped at her face with both of her hands. "I asked you once if you'd seen the wind in a lot of places, Jason, remember that?" 

Jason nodded. "I told you I only see the wind with you. And it was the truth." 

"Well I only see the wind with you too." 

Elizabeth sighed. "I need time, Jason. I'm so confused." 

Jason caught her eye. "I can give you that… I can wait. We'll find who's leaving you these reminders and we can deal with… with the rest later." Jason took a deep breath, turning away from her as he made his way towards the door. "We need to go to Kelly's so you can tell me exactly what happened when you got all of the reminders." 

Elizabeth stiffened. "Jason, I don't want to go there. I only get the reminders there and I don't… I can't…" 

Turning, Jason stared at her. "I'll be right there… I won't let anything happen to you." 

Elizabeth took a deep breath before nodding. "Ok… I'll get ready and then we can go. I guess the sooner we go, the sooner we can figure all those out, huh." 

Jason nodded, giving her a small smile before walking out the door. Elizabeth followed his with his eyes until he closed the door behind him. Falling back on the bed, Elizabeth sighed. 

Life was so confusing. 

The metal door to the Pentonville visiting phone cubbies slid open, the small alarm above the door ringing like it did every time the door was opened. 

Jeremy hated the phone cubbies. It was so odd talking to someone on the phone while at the same time, looking at them through a thick piece of glass. It was odd, but he knew the cubbies were for the protection of the visitors. 

"Who are you here to see," the guard asked. 

Jeremy sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Tom Baker." 

The guard nodded, nodding towards the first cubby before flipping through his clipboard and walking out. Pulling back the chair, Jeremy sat down and waited for Tom to be brought to the other side. 

He hated doing this, and he didn't want to be there, but he had to. He needed more information on Elizabeth Webber. 

Jeremy sighed when Elizabeth's face popped into his head. He didn't want to hurt her, but he had no choice. If he didn't do what he was told, Sorel would go after him, or even his family. 

He hated this. 

Jeremy looked up when he saw motion in front of him. Tom was pushed down into the seat on the other side of the glass and both men stared at each other for a few minutes. 

Finally, Jeremy picked up the phone receiver to his right, watching as Tom did the same. He took a deep breath before speaking. 

"Hi Dad." 

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	15. Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

Tom was silent, his breathing loud and labored as it sounded through the receiver that he held. Finally, after a few moments, he spoke. "What are you doing here?" 

Jeremy's eyes darted around before finally settling on his father. "I need more information." 

"I already told you all of it," Tom spat out. "You shouldn't have to hear about… about what I did. There's nothing more I can tell you." 

He knew his father was right – he shouldn't have to hear the gory details. "Sorel's pushing me to keep hurting Eliza… Elizabeth. I need to know more." 

"What more can I tell you? You want me to tell you how I threw her down into the snow? Want me to tell you how much I liked listening to her whimper? Want to know-" 

Jeremy swore into the phone, cutting his father off. "That's not what I want to hear! You think I like this? I'm being forced to do something I don't want to do… because of YOU Dad…" 

"That's right, blame it on me. You always do. 'Dad's in prison, so everything that goes wrong in my life is his fault.' That's what you're always saying." 

Jeremy slammed his hand down on the counter in front of him. "This IS your fault, Dad. Why did you ever get involved with Joseph Sorel?" 

Tom's eyes glared as his son through the thick glass. "You know why. I needed money, Sorel had a lot of it. Do you think it's easy taking care of a kid? Kids cost money, Jeremy, and you were costing me a lot." 

"Was it worth all of this?" Jeremy asked, motioning with his hands. "You're in prison and I'm cleaning up your mess for you. I know the only reason you blackmailed Emily Quartermaine was to get money to pay back Sorel with… I hate this Dad… and I hate what they are making me do." 

Tom started to say something but he stopped himself, his eyes turning cold. "What do you need to know?" he asked, his voice devoid of all emotion. 

Jeremy sighed into the phone. He hated coming here. He didn't want to fight with his father, but they always ended up in an argument every time he came here. "I need more information on what you did to Elizabeth?" 

"I already told you all the information. The bracelet, 'not a word,' the dress. What else do you need?" 

"Something! Anything…Why did you go after her in the first place" 

Tom's eyes hardened and he stared off, his voice softening. "I'd seen her around… she was a pretty little thing, you know that? I bet she still is…" 

"She's beautiful." 

"And she was a spitfire, a wild one. She was asking for it. The way she walked… she swung her hips to the side to get little boys, that Lucky kid, to notice her. She wasn't afraid of anything… I saw her and I knew I had to have her." 

Jeremy stared at his father. "You're sick." 

Tom's eyes bore into his son's. "I'd be careful what you say, boy. You and I are the same. We're from the same material, the same cloth." 

Jeremy shivered. "I'm nothing like you." 

A small smile came to Tom's face. "You think I can't see it, but I can. You want Elizabeth Webber… I can see it." 

"I don't know what you're talking about." 

"It's written all over your face, son. You like her. You're attracted to her just like I was." 

Jeremy pushed away from the counter until the cord of the phone was stretched as far as it would go. "You disgust me." 

"We're more alike than you like to think, Jeremy… you want Elizabeth Webber, I know you do. She's more than just an assignment from Sorel for you…" 

"Goodbye Dad." Jeremy pushed away from the counter, slamming the phone receiver back onto the cradle. He stalked to the door, slamming on it to get the attention of the guard. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see his father, still sitting where he left him. He hated the fact that his father was in prison, he hated the fact that his father was never there for him, he hated the fact that he was paying for his father's debts with Joseph Sorel… 

Jeremy stepped outside and took a deep breath. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the picture of Elizabeth that had come with the file of information on her. His fingers traced over her wide smile. He hated his father. 

And more than anything… he hated the fact that his father was right. 

The door to Kelly's swung open and Elizabeth stepped back, letting the person leave as she stared at the outside of the diner. The place used to be home to her, but now it was taking all that she had inside of her just to go anywhere near it. 

"I hate this…" 

Jason turned away from where he'd been talking to Francis, raising an eyebrow at Elizabeth. "What was that?" 

"Why do we have to talk in there?" 

She was whining and despite the situation, Jason found the corners of his mouth turning upward. "It's just Kelly's." 

"Jason, I don't want to go in there… Can't we talk on the docks? Or at Jakes? How about back to the Penthouses? I'm willing to take the risk of seeing Carly." 

Jason's head turned towards Francis when he heard the man cough and he saw a quick grin before the bodyguard straightened once more. Slowly, Jason turned his attention back towards Elizabeth. "I can't help you if I don't know all the details, and we need to see if the bracelet is still under the counter." 

"I… Jason…" 

Stepping forward, Jason cupped Elizabeth's face with his hands, his thumb softly moving across her cheek. "You used to tell me how much you hated it when people told you what to do, how to live your life, remember?" 

Mutely, Elizabeth nodded. 

"Whoever's doing this to you, using your rape against you… Elizabeth, you're letting him control you. You're scared to go into Kelly's because this person made you scared. Are you going to let him control you?" 

"No…" 

A small smile came to Jason's face. "You know I can tell when you lie…" 

Elizabeth smiled, her voice stronger this time. "I'm not going to let whoever's doing this control me." Stepping away, Elizabeth reached out for Jason's hand, intertwining their fingers before making her way into the diner. 

The place was nearly empty and Elizabeth was grateful for that. She looked around before pulling Jason towards the counter. "I already told you how I got the flowers… I found the 'no a word' note on the floor after I stepped on it." She motioned to a spot in front of the counter. "And that's where I found the bracelet." 

"It was just laying there?" 

Elizabeth nodded. "I was closing and I was in the back cleaning up… I thought I heard a noise out here and that's when I saw it. I flipped out and kicked it under the counter." 

Jason moved along the length of the counter. "You didn't see anyone." 

"No one." 

Leaning over, Jason ran his hand under the counter. He strained for a second, moving closer so that he could reach farther. 

He felt nothing. 

Elizabeth walked over to him, hugging herself with her arms as she watch Jason pull back his arm, leaning his head towards the floor so that he could peer under the counter. 

"I can't see it, Elizabeth." 

Elizabeth's eyes widened. No one cleaned under there. It had to be there. "Check again. I know I kicked it under there." 

Jason tried again and came up empty once more. He pushed himself off the floor and shrugged. "Maybe Tammy found it? Do you have a lost and found here?" 

Elizabeth looked down at the bottom of the counter for a second before she turned, calling out. "Tammy?!" 

Tammy's head peeked out the window that separated the diner from the back room. "What is it sweetheart." 

"Did you find a bracelet out here?" 

Tammy smiled. "No, but Lucky found your bracelet. He came rushing down the stairs the other day and dropped some film negatives. When he went to pick them up, he saw your bracelet under the counter." 

Elizabeth stiffened. "Do you know where he put it?" 

"He stared at it for a while but then he put it in his pocket and ran back upstairs." 

Nodding, Elizabeth forced a smile for the woman. "Thanks Tammy." Turning back towards Jason, she reached for his hand, pulling him towards the door. 

As soon as she was out of the diner, she started pacing. "Lucky has the bracelet. Jason, this is not good." 

"I'm not following you." 

Elizabeth stopped to look at Jason. "I didn't want Lucky to know. Lucky's the only one besides Grams who would know the meaning of that bracelet…" Jason's eyebrows raised and Elizabeth froze, her eyes widened. 

"No," she whispered. "He wouldn't…" She looked up and Jason saw tears sparkling in her eyes. 

"It can't be Lucky, Jason… it can't be." 

[Chapter Sixteen][1]   
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	16. Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

Jeremy sighed as he fell backwards onto the motel bed. In his hand, he held the file he had on Elizabeth. He rolled onto his stomach, opening the file. 

Her picture smiled up at him and Jeremy couldn't keep himself from running his finger across her cheek. He inhaled deeply, closing his eyes. 

"I don't want to hurt you, Eliza…" he whispered, his voice resonating throughout the silent room as if he'd yelled. "That's the last thing I want." 

Jeremy put her picture down, reaching for the first paper in the file. The file contained all the information he could ever want about Elizabeth Webber, ranging from her birth to present time. It included her lack of a close relationship with her parents, her rebel years, and even her PCU transcripts. 

Leaning over, Jeremy picked up the picture once more. "Could you ever care about me?" he asked softly. "Could you?" 

Silence. 

A small smile came to Jeremy's face. "I knew you could. I could see myself with you, Eliza," he said, brushing his thumb against the glossy picture. "I could make you happy." 

He looked back at the file, frowning for a second before turning his attention back to the picture. "I could make you happier than Lucky Spencer ever could." 

Jeremy's head tilted to the side as he studied the picture. "If you knew what they were making me do, would you hate me." 

Jeremy leaned forward, bringing the picture closer to his ear and a smile came to his face. "I knew you could never hate me Eliza…" 

He took a deep breath. "Dad says him and I are alike… I may be attracted to you, but I am nothing like my father, you know that, right Eliza? I don't want to hurt you, I really don't." 

He stared down at the picture. "He says I'm just like him, but I'm not… I'm not…" 

The first days of spring were just around the corner and small buds were forming on the trees. Lucky took a deep breath, looking around before climbing up into the boxcar. Elizabeth's paintings had long since faded and a layer of dust covered everything. 

The boxcar held so many memories for him. Memories of him and Elizabeth. It had been his home for a while, and it had been their escape. Escape from their lives, escape from the pressures around them, and escape to each other. So many things in their life had happened at the boxcar. It would never be just a boxcar to him. 

Him and Elizabeth hadn't come back to the boxcar many times since the fire, and he missed it. "You were right," Lucky whispered to himself. "We both have changed." 

They were both different and they were both living different lives than they were before the fire. But that didn't mean they couldn't be together. 

"When you love someone as much as we love each other, you make it work." 

There was a rustling off to the side and Lucky straightened, holding his breath. "Elizabeth?" 

Emily's head peaked in the opening of the boxcar as she brushed her long hair out of her face. She gave him a small smile. "No, it's just me." 

Lucky's face dropped. "I thought you were Elizabeth." 

Climbing into the boxcar, Emily dusted off a spot and sat down next to Lucky, reaching out to grab his hand. "How are you doing?" 

Leaning against the boxcar wall, Lucky closed his eyes and sighed. "I feel like my heart was ripped out. I still can't believe she doesn't love me." 

"Elizabeth love you, Lucky. I know she does. You and Elizabeth had an amazing love." 

Lucky was quiet for a moment. "I used to think that. But Elizabeth things she'd be better off with Jason." 

Emily stiffened, not knowing what to say at the mention of her brother. "Did she say she wanted Jason?" 

Lucky shook his head and snorted. "No, but she didn't have to. She broke up with me, and the next day, I saw her with him." 

"That doesn't mean anything…" 

"It means a lot, Emily," Lucky said harshly. "She lied to me for weeks about Jason. Elizabeth never used to lie to me. She can't stay away from him… she thinks she wants him." 

"Elizabeth loves you…" 

Lucky laughed bitterly. "She said that… but she also said she's not IN love with me anymore. What does that mean, huh?" 

"Lucky…" 

"It means Jason put ideas in her head to make her not be in love with me." 

Emily bit her lip as she watched her best friend. She hated seeing him like this. "I don't know what's going on, Lucky… I haven't talked to Elizabeth… but you need to pull yourself together. You look terrible. When's the last time you ate? Slept?" 

Ignoring her, Lucky reached into her pocket, pulling out the bracelet he'd gotten from Kelly's. The bracelet that was identical to the bracelet Elizabeth had been wearing when she was raped. He lifted it, peering at it closely. 

"What's that?" Emily asked quietly. "Did you buy that for Elizabeth?" 

Lucky shook his head, his eyes still on the bracelet. "This is the bracelet Elizabeth was wearing the night she was raped." 

Emily gasped but Lucky kept talking. "Tammy said Elizabeth got flowers the other days and that the card said 'Happy Valentine's Day' on it. You know what this means right? It means someone's trying to hurt Elizabeth by using her rape against her." 

Emily's mouth opened several times, but she couldn't get anything out. Who would do something that horrible? Guilt started to seep in. With everything that had been going on with Zander and the trial, Emily hadn't had the chance to talk to Elizabeth in a long time… and it looked like Elizabeth needed friends now more than ever. 

"Oh Lucky…" 

Lucky finally looked away from the bracelet. "I know how to make this better." 

Emily's eyebrows raised. "What are you going to do?" 

"I can make Elizabeth see that we are meant to be together. I was the one who helped Elizabeth after the rape. I was the one who held her together when she wanted to fall apart. I was the one who slept on the floor at night when she was scared." 

"Lucky-" 

"If someone is using her rape against her, Elizabeth won't be able to deal with it and she'll need me. She'll need ME." 

A sinking feeling was starting to form in Emily's stomach. "Lucky…" 

"I know just how to get Elizabeth to love me again." A slow smile came to Lucky's face. "She'll have to love me again." 

"Lucky, what are you planning?" 

"I'll help her… she'll need my help." 

His voice was getting softer and softer and Emily was getting uneasy. "Lucky, maybe that's not-" 

"She fell in love with me because I helped her with the rape…" His fingers moved over the bracelet. "If I help her again, she'll fall in love with me again… She will. I know she will…" 

Elizabeth's hand shook as she brought it up to her face. "Lucky wouldn't do this, Jason… he wouldn't." She looked up at Jason when he grabbed her hand, rubbing it between his own. 

Her hand was ice cold. 

"He couldn't do this… he can't hate me that much, can he?" 

Jason looked around, pulling Elizabeth away from Kelly's. "How did Lucky take the brake up?" he asked finally. 

Elizabeth stopped walking, her eyes widening. "He… he was angry. He was hurt… but he would never use my rape against me. Jason, he wouldn't." Even as she spoke, her voice wavered. 

"Lucky helped me through the rape. He was there for me when I didn't think I had anyone." Elizabeth shook her head. "He wouldn't do this to me, Jason… he wouldn't." 

The two of them made their way back to Harbor View Penthouses and Jason could see the tears forming in Elizabeth's eyes. He wanted nothing more than to make those tears go away. 

"I don't think he would do something like this," Jason said finally. "Lucky… loves you. No matter how much he's changed, I don't think he'd do this." 

Elizabeth stopped outside the lower entrance to the Penthouses. "How can you… how can you say such nice things about Lucky after all that he's done to you." 

Jason shrugged. "He hasn't done anything to me." 

"He's so mean to you, Jason. He's rude to you every time he sees you. That's not right." 

"That doesn't matter to me. Lucky is going to act however he wants to towards me. All I care about is that you're ok." 

Walking inside Sonny's building, Elizabeth smiled. "I am ok." 

Jason raised an eyebrow and Elizabeth's smile got a little bigger. "Alright… I WILL be ok, once we find out who is behind all of these reminders." 

Pressing the button for the elevator, Jason reached for Elizabeth's hand. "We will find this person. I give you my word." 

Giving Jason's hand a squeeze, Elizabeth nodded. "I know… I trust you Jason." 

Not letting go of her hand, Jason let a small smile come to his face. "I like this," he said, motioning to their hands. 

Elizabeth froze and looked down at their joined hands. 

Jason inhaled deeply and held his breath, mentally berating himself for what he'd said. Earlier that morning Elizabeth had asked for time and here he was, saying the wrong thing; something that would make her uncomfortable. He usually knew when to keep his mouth shut, but it was getting harder and harder to be around Elizabeth and not BE with her. 

"Elizabeth, I'm-" 

"You know what," Elizabeth said, cutting him off as the elevator started moving up towards the second floor. She brought their clasped hands up and looked at them for a moment before softly speaking. "I like this too." 

Her eyes met Jason's azure gaze and she inhaled deeply. The door to the elevator slid open, and not letting go of Jason's hand, Elizabeth turned to walk out only to stop short a second later. 

On the other side was Carly, her hand still poised over the down button of the elevator as she stood, ready so step inside the shaft. Her eyes widened at the sight of Elizabeth; she had not been expecting anyone being in the elevator, and her mouth dropped open slightly when she saw Jason and Elizabeth's joined hands. 

Glaring at the younger woman, Carly frowned, putting her arms on her hips. "What the hell do you think you're doing here?" 

[Chapter Seventeen][1]   
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	17. Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

"You think you can put your little claws into him? Well let me tell you something little girl, I'm here to tell you that you can't." 

Carly raised an eyebrow, glaring down at Elizabeth. Elizabeth straightened, setting her jaw. She refused to let Carly get to her. 

"Don't you have anything to say? Or are you just going to stand there? You really are a little child, you know that. You think you can play in the big leagues here? You can't Lizzie Webber. You're nothing but a-" 

"Carly." 

Jason's voice was stern and his expression made the older woman stop short, taking her attention away from Elizabeth as Carly looked up at her best friend. "I WARNED you about her, Jason. She's going to use you." 

Anger flashed through Elizabeth, darkening her blue eyes a shade as she took a step towards Carly. "I would NEVER use Jason." 

Jason gave Elizabeth's hand a little squeeze. "It's ok, Elizabeth…" 

Carly rolled her eyes. "Sure you wouldn't," she sneered. 

Elizabeth's teeth ground together as she took a step forward. "I wouldn't. That's your job." 

"What's that supposed to mean?" 

"You use people, Carly. You use them to get what you want. You say I'll use Jason, but you know what, I know I won't because I care about him. But you… I wouldn't put it past you for a minute." 

Carly glared, taking a step closer to Elizabeth. "You little witch. You know NOTHING about me, so don't even pretend that you do." 

Jason raised his hand, trying to put some space between the two girls. Elizabeth used her hand that was still clasped to his to pull him back. 

"You think you scare me, Carly? Well let me tell you something. You don't." 

"I'm going to tell you this once, little girl, and it better sink into your head this time. Stay away from Jason… He doesn't need you and he doesn't want you." 

"Carly." Jason's voice was dead serious this time. "Don't speak for me." 

"Jase…" 

His jaw clenched and he looked down at Elizabeth. He said nothing but she seemed to understand his unspoken words. She tightened her hold on his hand for a second before dropping it, glaring at Carly for a second before making her way to Alexis's penthouse. 

Jason took a deep breath, holding his chin in his hand as he waited for Elizabeth to close the door behind her before turning towards Carly. 

"Don't even say it Jase." 

He raised an eyebrow. "Say what? That you shouldn't have done that? That I don't need you to interfere in my life? You're right, I shouldn't have to say it. I've said it enough. You should KNOW it by now." 

Carly's eyes widened as she watched him. "You're mad at me." 

Jason sighed in frustration. "How am I supposed to feel, huh? I come here with Elizabeth and the second you see us, you attack her." 

Carly shook her head. "I can't believe you're mad at me… Jason, I know I complicate your life." Jason snorted, but Carly ignored him. "But I'm only trying to help you here. You need my kind of complication in your life because you need me. We're best friends. But you do not need Baby Webber to complicate your life." 

Reaching out for his hand, Carly pulled on it until he looked at her and her voice softened. "I'm not blind, Jase… I see how you look at her. She's only going to hurt you. And you…" Carly frowned. "… care… about her so much that… it would ruin you, Jase. I don't want that to happen." 

Jason sighed. "I don't need you to protect me." 

"Jase… I ruined you. Hurricane Carly came into your life and rained destruction. I don't want you to have to go through that again… and little Lizzie will only end up hurting you." 

"You need to stop thinking like that…" Rubbing his hand over his face, Jason sighed. "Go back inside, Carly… take care of Sonny. After the trial and everything… He needs you more than I do." 

"But Jase…" 

He looked down, his blue eyes burning into her. "Go to your husband Carly." 

Without another word, Carly frowned, letting him know how she felt, but she nonetheless went back to Sonny's penthouse. 

Leaning against the hallway wall, Jason rubbed his hands along his cheeks, feeling the beginnings on a stubble, and sighed. 

Resting her head back against the door of the penthouse, Elizabeth sighed. 

"Something wrong?" 

Jumping, Elizabeth let out a small yelp as she pushed away from the door, putting her hand over her heart. "My God, Alexis… you scared me." 

Taking off her glasses, Alexis smiled from her seat on the couch. "I'm sorry… I thought you saw me when you came in. Then again, you seemed a little preoccupied." 

With a sigh, Elizabeth saw down on the couch. "Jason and I were coming in and we ran into Carly." 

The distain in Elizabeth's voice was obvious and Alexis shook her head. "I should have known… again, I'm sorry." 

"She said stuff and… I tried to act like it didn't bother me out there, but… I guess it kinda does." 

Alexis raised an eyebrow. "What did she say? If you don't mind me asking." 

Elizabeth let out another sigh. "What did she say? What she always says. That I'll used Jason, that I'm only going to hurt him. That I don't deserve him." 

Alexis watched Elizabeth carefully. "Carly lashed out a lot when she sees someone moving in on her territory. She's like a cat in that respect… and annoying cat with sharp claws, but a cat nonetheless." 

"I know, I know," Elizabeth said, pushing some of her hair out of her face. "And I should know not to let her get to me… but… There were things in my life that made me… well… some of my decisions hurt Jason, I know they did. What if Carly's right. What if I will end up ruining his life. What if I don't deserve him." 

Leaning forward, Alexis rested her elbows on her knees. "I'm not one you should probably be talking to when it comes to relationships, because most of the relationships I have are in a pretty sorry state, be it romantic relationships, family, friends… But I can tell you this; don't let 'what ifs' rule your life." 

Elizabeth ran her hands through her hair and Alexis regarded her closely. "Elizabeth… how do you feel about Jason?" 

Elizabeth's hands froze in her hair and a second later, she dropped them to her sides. "How do I feel? About Jason?" 

Alexis shook her head. "I'm sorry, that's too personal of a question." 

"No, no…" Elizabeth took a deep breath. "I… I care about Jason. I'd do anything for him. He's my friend…" 

One of Alexis's eyebrows raised. "Is that all he is?" 

Elizabeth bit her lip. "He's…" She sighed, leaning back on the couch. "No, he's more than just a friend." 

Alexis smiled. "It makes it seem more real, saying the words, doesn't it? I think you have a lot to think about, Elizabeth. But don't let Carly's words get to you. Remember that they are just 'what ifs' and you shouldn't let those control what you do. You could lose out on something really great if you do." 

Elizabeth wrapped her arms around herself as she looked up at the neon signs of Jake's. After her talk with Alexis, Jason had walked in and Elizabeth had pushed him away. He seemed to understand that she needed time alone, and he respected her enough to give her that. 

_"I'll be at Jake's," Jason said, reaching for the door. "I'll be there all night, if you need me."_

_Elizabeth looked up, catching Jason's eye. "I'll need you… I'll be there later. I just need some time alone… to think."_

So here she was, a couple hours later. It had gotten dark but she wasn't uncomfortable. She knew Francis was standing a few feet away. She could sense him behind her, even if she couldn't see him. 

Walking into the bar, Elizabeth looked around. It was smoky and loud tonight, more crowded than it usually was. Her eyes drifted over to the pool table and she couldn't help the small smile that came to her face. 

She looked over at the door and saw Francis standing by it. He gave her a small nod before his eyes started scanning the area once more. Knowing that she'd be safe, Elizabeth sat down at one of the tables. 

She had walked around for a long time. She had gone to the park while it was still light outside and sat on one of the benches to think, but she'd left once it became dusk. She'd aimlessly walked around Port Charles after that, Alexis's words running through her head. 

And after all that walking, she'd ended up here. At Jake's. Where she knew Jason was. 

A shadow loomed in front of her and Elizabeth looked up, holding her breath when she saw Lucky standing in front of her. Off to the side, she saw Francis taking a few steps towards her, but she shook him off. 

"What do you want, Lucky?" Elizabeth asked carefully. 

Lucky looked around for a second before taking the seat in front of her. "I just want to talk, is that a crime." 

His voice was overly calm and Elizabeth peered at him cautiously. The last time she'd seen him was when she'd ended and he had been anything but calm. "What are you doing here?" 

He couldn't keep the distain out of his voice as his eyes drifted towards the sign by the stairs. 'Tenants Only.' "I had a feeling you'd be here." 

Elizabeth straightened in her chair. "Lucky, I think you should leave." 

Lucky's eyes moved back to her face and they softened. Reaching out, he grabbed her hand, ignoring the fact that she pulled against him. "Are you ok, Elizabeth?" 

Looking over at Francis once more to shake his approach off, Elizabeth turned back to Lucky, keeping her voice even. She could do this herself. "I'll be fine once you let go of me." 

His thumb moved back and forth across the back of her hand. It used to be a movement that comforted her. 

"I want to help you, Elizabeth. I found a bracelet at Kelly's." 

Elizabeth stiffened in the chair even more. "I know about that." 

"Is someone trying to hurt you, Elizabeth? You can tell me… I'll help you." 

"I don't need your help." 

Lucky tightened his grip on her hands. "You do, Elizabeth. Why can't you see that? I'll help you. I can help you. You have to let me… you always let me." 

Elizabeth shook her head sadly. "Not anymore… let go of me, Lucky." 

"No." 

Pulling her hand back, Elizabeth tried again. "I said let go!" 

Lucky shook his head adamantly. "NO! You need me." 

"I believe she said to let her go." 

Both Elizabeth and Lucky looked up at the sound of another voice. At the sight of Jeremy, Elizabeth breathed out a sigh of relief. 

"Who do you think you are?" Lucky asked, standing up. Jeremy met his glare with one of your own. 

"I'm a friend of hers from school. Now, she asked you to leave and I think you should." 

Lucky glared at the other man. "You have no right-" 

"Lucky," Elizabeth said, standing up. "Please leave." Turning her head towards the door, Elizabeth nodded to Francis, who immediately came over. 

"Come on, Spencer," he said, pulling on his arm. Lucky resisted but Francis held him tight, practically dragging him out of the bar. 

Elizabeth waited until Lucky was gone before turning back to Jeremy. "Thank you… for stepping in." 

Jeremy smiled at her. "It looked like you could use some help." Taking a seat at the table, Jeremy motioned for her to sit down. 

"What are you doing here?" Elizabeth asked, motioning around Jake's with her hand. A slow smile came to Jeremy's face. 

"I was looking for you." 

[Chapter Eighteen][1]   
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	18. Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

"You were looking for me?" 

Elizabeth's eyebrows raised as she leaned forward, resting her arms on the table. The noise in Jake's was a bit overwhelming tonight and she wasn't exactly sure she'd heard right. 

"Yep," Jeremy said, nodding. His hand delved into the basket of peanuts sitting on the table and he popped one into his mouth. "I went be Kelly's, but you weren't working. I asked your friend… Emily… and she said you might be here." 

"Oh really?" Elizabeth's eyes drifted over to the door and she saw Francis come back in, pausing for a moment to straighten his suit jacket. He caught sight of her sitting at the table with Jeremy and he immediately started towards them. With a shake of her head, Elizabeth stopped him. "Why were you looking for me?" 

Jeremy looked around Jake's. "I need your help with something." 

Elizabeth's eyes widened slightly. "What could I help you with?" 

"I'll tell you… in a second." Sitting forward in his seat, Jeremy motioned to the bar. "Do you hang out here often?" 

Elizabeth froze for a second. "I have… I usually meet a good friend of mine here?" 

"You two meet in a bar?" 

Shrugging, Elizabeth looked around, not entirely comfortable about the conversation. "Sometimes… so what was it that you needed my help with?" 

Jeremy smiled, avoiding her question. "How come your boyfriend can't get the clue that it's over?" 

Stiffening in her chair, Elizabeth bit her lip. "How… how do you know about Lucky?" 

A confused look crossed Jeremy's face. "You told me. In class a couple of days ago. You were going on and on in class about how you and Lucky broke up." 

"I was?" 

A chuckle escaped Jeremy's lips. "Don't tell me you don't remember… no wait. You were probably trying to block that horrible class out of your mind. That lecture that day put half the class to sleep!" 

Elizabeth giggled, the sound uncertain to her ears. "Yeah… uh… sometimes the professor goes on and on…" She hadn't remembered talking about Lucky to Jeremy, or anyone else from school for that matter. She hadn't even talked to Emily about it. 

Sighing, Elizabeth looked down. Then again, with everything going on lately, her mind was never into what she was doing. Maybe she had told Jeremy all about her and Lucky… 

"What's wrong, Eliza?" 

Elizabeth's head jerked up and she forced a smile on her face. "Nothing." 

"You looked upset. Is it because your ex is bothering you? I shouldn't have mentioned him, I'm sorry." 

"No, no… it's not that. I've just had… a bad week." 

Jeremy reached his hand out and poked Elizabeth's arm with his index finger a couple of times. "Want to talk about it?" 

Elizabeth's eyes drifted to the stairs that led to the rooms. "No, I'm fine… thing are going to get better… starting tonight." Her eyes focused once more on Jeremy. "Weren't you going to ask me to help you with something?" 

Jeremy laughed, ducking his head. "I'm a little embarrassed about this." 

Leaning back in her chair, Elizabeth crossed her arms over her chest. "What is it?" 

"Well… I'm having a little trouble in the Art Interpretation class… and the professor suggested that I got to the PC Art Gallery with someone who understands art…" 

Elizabeth smiled. "That sounds like good advice." 

"Well… I was wondering if you would… would come with me?" 

"Come with you… to the gallery?" 

Jeremy nodded, reaching his hand into the basket of peanuts once more. "Yeah… you said art was your passion… I was hoping some of that could rub off on me, you know? Maybe help me get an A in the class… or at least a C." 

Elizabeth laughed. "Sure… I'll come." Her eyes drifted to the stairs once more and she smiled apologetically at Jeremy. "You know… I have to be going." 

Nodding, Jeremy stood when Elizabeth did, watching as she went out towards the back door of the bar. His eyes followed her until he could no longer see her before he smiled to himself. 

"It's a date," he whispered before pushing in his chair and making his way out of the bar. 

As Jeremy was walking out of the bar, Francis stepped up, bumping into the younger man. 

"Hey," Jeremy muttered, glaring. "Watch where you're going." 

Patting Jeremy on the shoulder, Francis apologized. "Sorry there… I wasn't watching where I was going. No harm done, man." 

Eyeing the man carefully, Jeremy nodded slowly, absently taking note of the expensive suit the man in front of him was wearing. "Right… no harm done." Jeremy gave Francis one more look before walking out of the bar. 

As soon as Jeremy was gone, Francis opened his fist, eyeing the small wallet he'd grabbed. He opened it, taking out Jeremy's license. Reading over the information on the card, he frowned, pulling out his cell phone as he walked towards the stairs leading to the second floor. He knew Miss Webber would be there. 

He peeked around the corner and saw her standing in front of Jason's door. Satisfied, he climbed back down the stairs, taking up post there. Hitting the speed dial button on the phone, he held it up to his ear, waiting for someone to pick up. 

"Johnny, it's me… Remember that guy Sonny asked to have checked out… Jeremy Barker. Did Benny ever get any information on him?" 

Shaking his head, Francis frowned as he listened to the information Johnny was giving him. "Damn… Try this name instead. Thomas Jeremy Baker, Jr." 

Elizabeth stood in front of Jason's door, her hand poised and ready to knock. Taking a deep breath, she rapped her knuckles against the door. 

The door opened a second later, and Jason smiled. "Elizabeth." 

Smiling back almost shyly, Elizabeth stepped inside. Jason watched her carefully as she looked around his room, finally opting to sit down on his bed. "Did you… clear your head?" 

Elizabeth smiled up at him. "I didn't ask to be alone to clear my head. If I had wanted that, I would have asked you to take me for a ride. I needed to think about a few things." 

"Do you want to talk about it?" 

Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth reached out for Jason's hand. He stared at it for a moment before slowly raising his hand to join with hers. Using him as leverage, Elizabeth pulled herself off the bed. 

"I walked around a lot. And I finally realized something… I would have been up here sooner, but I got held up downstairs." 

Jason's eyes narrowed slightly. "Did someone come up to you? Are you ok?" 

Elizabeth shook her head. "No, no… it's nothing I couldn't take care of." She looked down for a second. "Jason, I want to talk about us." 

Jason's mouth twitched slightly but other than that, he kept his face impassive. "Us?" 

Exhaling forcefully, Elizabeth took a few steps around the room. "I care about you, Jason… you know that, right? And I know I've confused you lately. One minute I'm telling you that we can't be friends, and the next, I'm running to you, crying in your arms…" 

Reaching out, Jason snagged Elizabeth's arm, turning her so that she would face him. "That's all in the past, Elizabeth." 

Elizabeth let out a shaky breath. "That's what's so great about you. I made mistakes. I made so many mistakes… but you don't care about that." Looking around, Elizabeth walked over to the desk, her hand brushing up against the short stack of tour books Jason had. "Lucky and I are over… you know that, right?" 

"That's what you told me." 

"And we are… it hurts, because I hate hurting him… and I still love him. A part of me always will." 

Jason held his breath. "What are you trying to say, Elizabeth?" 

Elizabeth looked over at Jason. "Lucky was supposed to be the love of my life. And our relationship hasn't been the same since the fire. When Lucky came back, I tried to tell myself that everything would be fine as long as we had each other. I tried to tell myself that as long as I remembered my love for Lucky, I would be fine… that I didn't need anything else." 

Reaching up, Elizabeth tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. "I was wrong… I needed more." 

Jason's voice was soft, catching slightly when he finally found his voice. "What do you need." 

"I need for you to tell me that… that I didn't mess this up." 

"Mess what up." 

Elizabeth swallowed hard. "Us." 

Jason shook his head. "You didn't mess us up. You were trying to do what you thought was right." 

"No… I'm not talking about that." Taking a deep breath, she took a step closer to him. "After you were shot, you told me that what you felt for me… it was more than friendship…" 

Jason's eyes burned into hers. "There's no word for what I feel for you," he whispered. 

"Is… is that still true?" 

Reaching out, Jason just barely brushed his fingers over her cheek. "Yes." 

Elizabeth's chin quivered slightly. "I… so I'm not to late? I didn't ruin everything by running back to Lucky?" 

Jason took a step closer, his hand cupping Elizabeth's cheek. "Nothing's changed… watching you go to Lucky… I just wanted you to be happy, and you said you were… but that didn't change how I felt." 

Bringing her hand up, Elizabeth held Jason's hand to her cheek. "After I broke up with him... I tried telling myself that it was too soon after Lucky to feel what I feel for you. It was too soon. That I needed to wait before I moved into something else." 

"Time doesn't matter… it's what you feel that does." 

Elizabeth closed her eyes, leaning into Jason's hand. "What I feel… this feels right." 

She opened her eyes, locking her blue orbs with Jason's. Her hand traced over the hard line of his jaw and she felt him tremble slightly under her soft touch. 

Standing up on her tip toes, she hovered near Jason's face, closing her eyes. She could feel his warm breath on her skin, and she shivered slightly with anticipation. Jason's nose brushed against her own as he titled his head slightly to the side. 

With her arms slowly sliding up to his shoulders, she stepped fully into his embrace. His hands immediately locked together behind her back. 

Tilting her head forward, Elizabeth sighed softly as her lips lightly brushed against Jason's in a feather-light touch. She paused a moment, and leaning into him, their lips connected once more. 

A low moan came from the back of his throat as he bent down, tightening his arms around her waist before straightening, lifting her feet off the floor. Her body was flush against his and he couldn't stop the second moan that came when she kissed him back, pressing into him even harder. 

Moving over to the bed, he sat her down on the edge and knelt down between her legs, never once removing his lips from her own. His hands moved to her hair and he pushed her face closer to his own. 

Finally pulling away, Elizabeth took a shaky breath, resting her forehead against Jason's. Opening her eyes, she peered into his as a single tear fell. 

"Why are you crying," Jason whispered. 

Elizabeth licked her lips and a small smile came to her face. "I'm happy." 

Jason's eyes shimmered and he moved his hand over her cheek. "That's all I ever wanted, Elizabeth… that's all I wanted." 

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	19. Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

"Do you remember when you stayed at my studio after you were shot… We played a game with the globe I'd gotten you to give to Michael for Christmas, remember?" 

Elizabeth turned slightly in the large chair in Jason's room at Jake's, where the two of them were spooned together, her back pressed tightly against his chest, with his arms tightly wrapped around her waist. She peered up at him, waiting for him to answer. 

"I remember… you cheated." 

Her jaw dropped slightly but Jason saw laughter in her eyes. "I did not cheat!" 

Jason felt the corners of his mouth turn upward in a lazy smile, and he didn't try to hide it. "I asked for a fact about Uzbekistan and you rambled on about rain and umbrellas." 

Elizabeth was unable to keep the smile from forming on her face. "That could be a fact," she defended weakly. "You never know…" 

One of Jason's eyebrows raised and she rolled her eyes. "Ok, fine. So you know more about exotic places than I do. That's just because I don't spend my free time reading tour books. I'm sorry I can't quote information about the tropical zones of the smallest countries in the world." 

Jason laughed, leaning his head back on the soft leather of the chair. He tightened his arms fractionally around Elizabeth. "You don't have to… that's not you." 

Smiling, Elizabeth reached up, her hand lightly tracing Jason's jaw. Her eyes followed her hand's movements as she softly spoke. "I has a crush on you…" 

Jason raised his eyebrows, but other than that, he didn't say a word. 

"I think it started in Jake's. I… I thought I had to be devoted to Lucky forever, even in death. But then we became friends… more than friends. And I kept telling myself that it was just a crush." Her eyes moved over to his mouth, her finger just barely brushing against his bottom lip. "But when Lucky came back, I pushed it out of my head… but it never did go away." 

Turning, she shifted so that she faced him, her legs tucked on either side of him. Jason's hands lowered slightly, resting on her hips. "I'm sorry, Jason. I'm sorry I pushed you away so many times… I'm sorry I didn't listen to what I was feeling. I'm sorry-" 

Placing a finger on her lips, Jason silenced her. "You don't have to be sorry, Elizabeth. You can't change the past." 

Leaning forward, he lightly kissed her chin, keeping close to her as he whispered to her. "You're here right now… that's all that matters." 

Lowering her head a fraction of an inch, Elizabeth brushed her lips against his. She felt him shift under her and she leaned closer, letting him pull her flush against him. 

Increasing the pressure, Jason ran his tongue across her bottom lip, seeking entrance. He pulled down slightly on her chin with his hand, opening her mouth for him, groaning when he felt her tongue eagerly slip by his own. 

Pushing off the chair, he stood, taking Elizabeth with him. Her legs latched at the ankles around his waist as he straightened, blindly moving towards the bed. His knees brushed the edge of the mattress and he pitched forward, the both of them falling onto the bed. Using his hands, he held himself up, keeping from crushing her with his weight. 

Finally pulling away from the attack on her mouth, he moved down the column of her neck and Elizabeth gasped for breath, digging her hands into his hair. Her head rolled to the side, her eyes closing as she stopped thinking and just let herself feel. 

His mouth latched onto her neck, directly over her pulse point, sucking on the smooth column. Bracing his weight on one arm, he let his other hand roam down her sides, finally resting on her hip. 

"Jason…" 

The sound of her voice brought his attention to her face and he pulled himself back up, his eyes locked with her. Her hands brushed down his sides and she bit her lip lightly. 

"Jason," she whispered, pulling him closer. She spread her legs slightly, letting his body rest between them. "Jason, please…" 

She saw his eyes flash a deeper shade of blue for a second before he leaned his head forward, once more capturing her lips. He nibbled on her lower lip, a small smile coming to his face when he felt a tremor go through her. 

"God, Elizabeth…" he mumbled, his lips lightly brushing against hers as he spoke. 

Reaching up, Elizabeth's hands came to rest on the sides of his face. A scratchy stubble was forming and she rubbed her hands across his cheeks, letting the coarse hairs catch lightly on her fingertips. She kissed him full on the mouth, pulling him as close as she could with her hands. Lazily opening her eyes, she gasped slightly into his mouth when she caught sight of his blue orbs staring intently into her own. 

Never breaking their gaze, or their kiss, Jason once more began to explore her body. His hand traced down her shoulder, finally cutting into caress the curve of her breast and for the second time in a matter of a few minutes, Elizabeth gasped. His hands moved lower, rubbing across the flat plane of her stomach as a ringing sound cut through the fog he was in. 

Pulling away, both gasped for breath as they tried to focus. Jason's head jerked towards the chair where he'd thrown his jacket. Pushing himself off the bed, he paused for a moment before reaching for the phone, his eyes locking on Elizabeth as she straightened in the bed, running her hands through her disheveled hair. 

"Morgan." 

Jason's eyes lingered on Elizabeth, watching as she tried to calm her breathing. Her legs curled under herself as she straightened her shirt. 

"Now? Can't someone else deal with this? I'm… busy." 

Elizabeth's head snapped up and her eyes met Jason's. He held her gaze for a second before turning his attention back to the caller. "Fine… fine… I'll be right there." 

Turning his back towards her, Jason put the phone back into his jacket pocket. He could hear Elizabeth move behind him, but he made no move to turn back to her. Taking a deep breath, he forcefully pushed the air out before speaking. 

"I have to go to the warehouse…" 

Elizabeth paused for a moment. "Business?" 

Finally turning towards her, Jason shook his head. "There's a problem with the new coffee shipment and the men need me to go and fix it." 

Nodding, Elizabeth stood, wrapping her arms around herself. "You'd better go then." 

"I don't want to." 

A faint smile came to her face. "But you have to." Looking around, Elizabeth moved towards the window. "Is it ok if I stay here? Wait for you to finish?" 

Jason reached for his jacket and slipped it on, the leather creaking. "I don't know how long I'll be." 

Catching his eye, Elizabeth held the gaze for a second. "It's my turn to wait." 

Moving towards the door, Jason smile. "You won't have to wait long. I'll be back as soon as I can." 

The door closed behind him and Elizabeth looked around his room at Jake's and a faint smile came to her face. 

"I'll be here." 

Slamming the door behind him, Lucky ripped his jacket off, throwing it across the room. Who did Jason think he was, putting Sonny's men on Elizabeth… having them kick him out of Jakes. 

He was livid. He leaned against the dresser and his hand brushed against a bottle of perfume. 

Elizabeth's perfume. 

Clenching the bottle in his fist, Lucky hurled the bottle as far as he could, watching in satisfaction as it slammed against the wall, the glass instantly shattering. 

The smell of Elizabeth's perfume overwhelmed him and Lucky sank down against the dresser, all of the fight draining out of him. Crawling on his hands and knees, he moved over to the glass, carefully picking up the large pieces. 

Closing his eyes, he inhaled deeply, taking in the smell that was all Elizabeth. It had a pineapple tang to it. Opening his eyes, he stared at the bracelet sitting on his nightstand. 

"Elizabeth," Lucky whispered brokenly. "I'll help you, Elizabeth. You'll see that you still love me… once I help you." 

Pulling himself off the floor, he crawled into the bed. Even the pillows smelled like her. Reaching under the mattress, he pulled out a black book. 

The scrapbook she'd made for him. 

Opening it, he paused on the first page. It was a picture of the two of them, before the fire. Their heads were pressed together at the temples, large grins brightening their faces. 

Leaning back on the bed, Lucky leafed through the book. "I love you Elizabeth… and soon you'll realize that you love me too." 

Jeremy unlocked the door to his motel room and walked inside, flipping the light on. He shrugged off his coat, absently tossing it onto the bed. It slid to the floor and Jeremy turned towards it to pick it up again. 

A man was sitting on his bed, his hands clasped calmly in his lap and Jeremy jumped. "Jesus, you scared me." 

The man raised his eyebrows as he stood. "I told you before to step up the plan for Miss Webber. Why haven't you?" 

Jeremy scowled, leaning forward to pick up his jacket. "I told you before that I'd work on it, and I am. Give me some time here… these things take time." 

The man narrowed his eyes as he took a step towards the door. "You've made this personal." 

Freezing for a fraction of a second, Jeremy covered it up by moving to the closet to hang up his coat. "I don't know what you're talking about." 

The man was silent for a moment, watching Jeremy as he walked around the room. "The plans have changed," he said finally. "It's obvious you've failed in your attempts to hurt Miss Webber, and we don't have the time to wait. You'll get one more change to redeem yourself in Mr. Sorel's eyes." 

Jeremy flinched slightly, but he held his ground, lifting his chin slightly to the other man. "What do I have to do?" 

"Kill her." 

"Excuse me?" 

The man reached for the doorknob. "Kill Miss Webber." 

The door slammed behind him. 

[Chapter Twenty][1]   
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	20. Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

Wiping down the counter, Emily blew a bubble with her gum. It had been a quiet night at Kelly's and the last customer had ambled out about ten minutes ago. She hated the closing shift. It was boring, it was extra cleaning, and there was no one to talk to. 

Moving over to the jukebox, Emily popped in a coin, picking fast-paced song to help her through the mundane work of cleaning the diner. 

The door to Kelly's slowly opened and Jeremy peeked his head in. Feeling someone's eyes on her, Emily turned. 

"Jeremy?" she asked her eyebrows raised. She looked around for a moment before throwing the dishrag on the counter, wiping her hands as she walked towards him. "Did you ever find Elizabeth?" 

Jeremy bit his lip, his eyes drifting to the stairs that led to the rooms above the diner. "Yeah… I found her at Jake's like you said when I came in earlier. But… I need to find her again. I don't suppose she's here?" 

Emily shook her head, watching as Jeremy frowned and looked down. "What do you need her for?" 

Jeremy's head jerked up and Emily swore she saw panic in his eyes for a second. "Uh… nothing. I just needed to talk to her." 

Eyebrows raised, Emily looked at him sideways. "You know… I can listen too." 

"What?" 

Smiling, Emily leaned against the counter. "It's obvious you have something on your mind, and I need someone to keep me from falling over from boredom…" Emily's smile faded and a look crossed her face, her cheeks reddened slightly. "Oh my… unless… oh, it's personal, isn't it? I'm sorry, you don't have to tell me." 

Standing silent for a moment, Jeremy finally looked up as Emily backed behind the counter. "Have you ever been forced to do something you didn't want to?" he asked softly. 

Surprised that he had spoken, Emily looked up. "It happens all the time in my family." 

Jeremy shook his head. "No… I mean something you didn't want to do because it would hurt someone you love." 

Emily bit her lip. "I had this boyfriend, Juan… but I fell in love with someone else and I had to tell Juan, even though I didn't want to because I knew it would hurt him." 

Jeremy's eyes focused on the counter as he softly spoke. "There's the girl in my life. And someone who has control over me is trying to get me to hurt her because it will help him." 

Frowning, Emily leaned forward. "Do you love her?" 

Picturing Elizabeth's face, a small smile came to Jeremy's face. "I love her… and she loves me." 

Emily watched him as he stared off at nothing. "And someone's trying to get you to hurt her? Is it your parents or something? Do they not like her?" 

"Something like that." 

Emily frowned again. "Well, what do you think is right?" 

Shaking his head slightly, Jeremy turned, finally focusing on Emily. "I can't hurt her. She loves me, I know she does… and I'm not going to let her down." 

Smiling, Emily slapped her dishrag against the counter. "Then it looks like you've made your decision." 

Nodding, Jeremy started backing out of the door. "You know what? Thanks for your help." His hand was on the door by the time Emily called out to him. 

"You and this girl… how long have you been together?" 

Jeremy's eyes focused on the glass panes of the door. "Not for long…" 

"You guys seem tight." 

A faint smile came to his face as images of Elizabeth floated around in his head. 

"We are… we'll be together forever." 

Lucky walked towards Kelly's, watching his feet slap against the sidewalk. As he moved to open the door to the diner, he bumped into something hard. 

"Hey, watch it." 

Looking up, he frowned, shrugging slightly to the man in front of him who had been walking out of Kelly's. "Sorry, man. I didn't see you." 

Jeremy shook his head but let it slip. What is with people bumping into me tonight? > "Probably because you were looking at your shoes. You might want to try looking up when you walk." 

Shrugging, Lucky watched as the man straightened his shirt and walked away before turning into Kelly's. Emily was cleaning up at the counter and she smiled when he walked in. 

"Hey Lucky, what's up." 

Sliding into one of the chairs at the counter, Lucky rested his chin against his palm. "I saw Elizabeth today. Tried to get her to let me help her." 

Emily tensed slightly. "You two didn't fight, did you?" 

"You know where she was," Lucky asked, ignoring Emily's question. "She was a Jake's." Annoyance seeped into his voice. "Now what do you think she was doing there?" 

"Oh, Lucky…" 

"When she broke up with me, I TOLD her it was about Jason, but she said it wasn't. He confuses her, Em. Elizabeth doesn't think straight when she's with him. I need to get her away from him." 

Emily tensed even more. "Lucky, Jason's my brother and I know he would never hurt Elizabeth." 

"She pulled away from me tonight, Em… Elizabeth wouldn't do that if she were thinking straight. She would know that she needs my help." 

"Lucky…" 

"I need to get her away from Jason if I'm going to help her and get her back. She thinks Jason can protect her from whoever gave her that bracelet. Well he can't. He can't help her like I can, and he sure as hell can't love her like I can." 

Emily sighed. "Lucky, maybe Elizabeth doesn't want your help. Maybe helping her won't get her back." 

"Of course it will." 

"Lucky…" 

Standing up, Lucky moved towards the stairs. "Have you ever gotten that feeling that everything is too calm? You know, when things are too perfect. Perfection doesn't exist and everyone tells you that when it feels perfect, something back is going to happen to ruin it. Have you ever heard that?" 

Emily nodded, not understanding what he was trying to get at. 

"Well, things aren't perfect now, because Elizabeth and I aren't together, but I'm getting that feeling, Em. My gut's telling me that something bad is going to happen if I don't help Elizabeth." He paused and gave his best friend a hard look. "My father might not be my favorite person right now, but he taught me some important things. And one of those things was to trust my gut." 

"But maybe-" 

"My gut's screaming that something bad is going to happen if I don't help her. I have to help her, Em… I have to." 

Slowly opening the door, Jason peeked his head inside. The lights were off and everything was still. From the little light coming through the window, it looked like the room was completely empty. 

Part of him had thought that Elizabeth wouldn't stay, but he had been hoping that he had been wrong. Heaving a little sigh, Jason shook his head. He had, after all, been gone for nearly five hours, and the sun would be rising soon. He couldn't expect her to wait all that time for him. 

But still… he had wanted her to. 

Blindly making his way through the small room in the dark, he slipped off his leather jacket, throwing it onto one of the chairs. He slipped off his boots and froze when his socked foot brushed against something. 

It was Elizabeth's left shoe. 

Picking up the shoe, he looked up, his eyebrows jutted up when he noticed for the first time, the outline of a lump in his bed. 

A lump the size of Elizabeth. 

Quickly making his way over to the bed, he kneeled down, his hand hover over Elizabeth's cheek. She lay peacefully on her side, one hand tucked under her chin, the other disappearing under the pillow. Her hair was splayed across his pillow, her dark locks a stark framing her face. In the moonlight, her skin looked even paler. 

He wanted to touch her and wake her up, showing her just how happy he was that she stayed, that she waited for him, but another part of him didn't want to disturb her. 

Moving towards the chair off to the side, Jason settled down, his eyes still on Elizabeth. He settled down in the chair for a moment, closing his eyes. A second later, his eyes were open and he was once against standing by the bed. 

After a slight hesitation, he climbed onto the bed, spooned up against Elizabeth as he lay on top of the covers. His arm snaked out to rest across her stomach and he buried his face in her hair, inhaling deeply. Closing his eyes, he silently marveled on how well she fit in his arms. 

It was perfection. 

[Chapter Twenty-One][1]   
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	21. Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-One

The first thing Elizabeth noticed as her body began to wake up was that the blanket tucked under her chin was scratchy, the material rubbing against her soft skin. 

The second thing she noticed was the heavy weight around her stomach. It felt like something had her in a vice-like grip, but despite that, she felt no need to pull away or escape. 

The third thing she noticed was the fact that there was something very hard, and very warm pressed up against her back. And whatever it was, was breathing on her neck. 

Jason. 

A lazy smile came to her face as she remembered what had happened the night before. She had waited for him for hours before exhaustion had crept up on her. She needed a good nights sleep, but she didn't want to leave Jake's. She had said that she would stay, she had promised… and she was going to. 

She had let the situation with Lucky pull her away from Jason too many times. She had almost given up on their friendship because of it. He never said anything about it, but she knew how much she'd hurt him at the gardens that night. She had felt his emotions as he drove her back to Kelly's before pleading with her to reconsider. She knew telling Jason that they couldn't be friends had hurt him more than she had realized at the time. 

Elizabeth had wanted to make up for that, and a part of her believed that by staying, and waiting for Jason, she would be able to begin to do just that. She needed to prove that she was sure of what she wanted, that she was sure of Jason. 

So she stayed. 

She had crawled into the bed and immediately inhaled his scent from the pillows and sheets. It was faint, but it definitely smelled like the spicy, all male scent of Jason. She had wrapped herself in the blankets wanting to get as close to him as she would without him being there. 

Rolling her head to the side, Elizabeth's eyes roamed over Jason's peaceful face. He was on top of the covers, one of his legs thrown over hers, his arm draped over her waist. His head was turned slightly towards her and she could faintly see the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. 

The artist in her soaked up the lines of his body, taking everything in. His face was angular but soft. The hard line of his strong nose was contrasted nicely by the soft curve of his bottom lip. His strong jaw curved upward, meeting with the bottom of his small ears. His spiky hair melted into the gentle curve of his forehead. 

He was an Adonis; a sculptor's dream. Part of her wished she worked with marble instead of oil paints so that she would be able to sculpt him. Her eyes drifted down the column of his neck and lower. 

He was a masterpiece. 

Pulling her eyes back up to his face, Elizabeth gasped when she saw his baby blues open and staring back at her. "Morning…" 

Jason's mouth twitched slightly. "Good morning." 

Shifting, Elizabeth turned her body so that she lay facing him. While Jason loosened his grip on her to let her move freely, he didn't let go. When she settled again, she looked back up at him. "I didn't hear you come in last night." 

"It was late and you were asleep. I didn't want to wake you." 

Taking the initiative, Elizabeth snuggled closer to his chest, resting her cheek against his shoulder. "I really wanted to wait up for you but I was so tired." 

Jason smiled slightly, once again tightening his arms around her. "You've been through a lot lately. I know you. When you're worried or scared, you get a lot of false energy and you're constantly moving. You needed your sleep." 

Elizabeth squeezed his side with her arms, feeling the muscle tighten under her fingers as he shifted slightly. "Well, I slept like a baby last night." 

"I'm glad." 

Looking up, Elizabeth rested her chin on Jason's chest, peering into his eyes. "I think it's because I feel safe here. I don't worry about someone leaving me reminders of my rape when I'm here." 

Taking one hand away from her waist, Jason reached up to cup her cheek. "Good. I want you to feel safe here." 

Smiling, Elizabeth stretched to give him a quick kiss on the lips. "I know you'll do everything you can to keep me safe." 

Jason nodded seriously before letting a smile slide onto his face. Lifting his head off the pillow, he moved to kiss her again but Elizabeth pulled away, her hand lightly covering her mouth as she giggled, shaking her head. 

"Uh uh… morning breath." 

And her laughter resonated in the room. 

Tapping his fingers on the phone, Jeremy waited for the person on the line to finish talking, not really listening to what he had to say. 

His hands played with one of the files he had on Elizabeth. This one ranged from age seventeen to present. It chronicled her life after the death of her boyfriend, Lucky Spencer, even thought he was still alive. 

Shaking his head, Jeremy rolled his eyes. Some parts of her life were just unbelievable. He looked down at a picture of her, this one from the Nurse's Ball, and smiled. Maybe some parts were unbelievable, but that was why he loved her so much. 

He'd read so much information on the file that he felt like he'd know her all of her life. She was vibrant, she was stubborn, she was beautiful, and he loved her for all of it. And she loved him back. 

She just didn't know it yet. 

Concentrating once more on the voice coming through the phone, Jeremy frowned. "I don't care about all of that. I just want to know if it's all set up." 

The man on the line paused for a minute. "This is some powerful stuff, Jeremy. What do you want with it?" 

Jeremy stiffened in his chair and his fingered tightened around the picture of Elizabeth. "That's none of your concern. Just tell me – is it ready?" 

The man sighed. "It'll be ready for you to pick up. Just be careful, man. If this girl's as small as you say, you can't give her too much." 

"I know what I'm doing." 

Again, the man paused. "I hope so, man." 

Giving a disgusted grunt, Jeremy slammed the phone down. He looked at the picture in his hands and immediately tried to straightened the edges that has bent when he'd gotten frustrated on the phone. 

"I'm sorry, Elizabeth," he muttered, his hands trying to get rid of the creases in the picture. "I can fix it… I can…" 

There was a crease in the picture right across Elizabeth's face and Jeremy desperately tried to straighten it. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry." 

Playing with the picture only made it worse and in anger, he crumpled it up, hurtling the balled-up piece of paper across the room. Nearly growling in frustration, he yanked open the bottom drawer of the desk. 

Inside lay a stack full of pictures, all of Elizabeth. Most of them were of her looking away, little pictures that had been taken without her knowledge. Some of them were from her childhood, pictures Sorel's men had given to him in the files. 

He rummaged through the pile, finally picking out a picture of Elizabeth sitting by the docks. Her hair was blowing in the breeze and she had her hand up to push it away. She was looking off into the distance and her cheeks were reddened by the cold air. A wool scarf was tightly wrapped around her neck. 

It was his favorite picture. 

He'd taken it himself. He'd been following her for almost two weeks by then, trying to get to know her schedule, even thought he hadn't talked to her yet. He's come across her sitting on the bench and had instantly pulled out a little disposable camera. 

It was the best picture he'd even taken. 

Placing the picture on his desk, Jeremy stared at it, his hand lightly brushing over the glossy finish. 

"It won't be long now, Eliza… it won't be long at all… 

"Welcome to the Port Charles Art Gallery." 

Her shoes clicked against the marble floor as Elizabeth slowly walked through the glass doors, smiling at the woman who greeted everyone. She loved the Gallery. It was filled with some much talent and history. She chastised herself, telling herself that she should come by more often. She could spend hours in the Gallery. 

She had stayed with Jason all morning until live finally reared its head in and forced him to leave for the warehouse. She eventually left for her studio with Francis, promising to meet Jason on the docks at six. 

The message on her machine from Jeremy hadn't surprised her. He had mentioned something about it at Jake's. Elizabeth hadn't been to the Gallery in a long time, and she jumped to go. 

As she looked around at the art on the walls, she smiled. Turning towards Francis, she called out to him. She pointed to the wall in front of her. "What do you think of this one?" 

It was Monet. 

Francis's eyes darted to the painting quickly. "It's nice, Miss Webber." 

She smiled before turning back to the art, her feet slowly sliding across the floor as she moved towards the abstract section. 

In front of her was a brilliant painting. Reds, oranges, and yellows jumped out at her. The paining was done as a series of tiny blocks that looked like nothing up close, but made a picture when you stepped back. "What do you think of this one, Francis?" 

She didn't hear him respond and she laughed. "Don't even think about saying, 'it's nice, Miss Webber' again. I want to know your opinion on it." 

When he still hadn't responded, she frowned, turning around. Her hands found their way to her hips and she was ready to mock-glare at him for not giving his thoughts on the artwork. Her eyes widened slightly. 

He wasn't there. 

An uneasy feeling came to her stomach but Elizabeth pushed it out of her mind. Sometimes Francis stepped back to give her some space and he had probably done that just now. He was probably just around the corner. 

Stepping away from the artwork, Elizabeth backtracked, her shoes clicking loudly on the floor. "Francis?" She turned the corner and gasped at what she saw. Francis lay facedown on the floor. 

He wasn't moving. 

Dropping to her knees, Elizabeth hesitantly reached out for a second before firmly pushing two fingers against he pulse point of his neck. She breathed a sigh of relief when she felt a steady beat under the pads of her fingers. Slow, but steady. 

Straightening, she stood to go call for help. As she backed up, she ran into something hard and Elizabeth gasped when she felt a hand come around to grip her. She struggled in the arms of whoever held her, their hand coming to cover her mouth. 

Her entire body tensed with fear as she felt herself being lifted up into the air. Her legs flailed and she kicked as hard a she could, coming in contact with a kneecap. 

Elizabeth and her attacker fell forward, his weight on top of hers as she thrash about, trying to get away. She heard him swear and jumped when she felt a sharp prick in her left arm. 

And her world went black. 

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	22. Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Two

Carly Corinthos was a woman of action. When she wanted things done, she went out herself and did them. 

And right now, she wanted answers. 

Settling herself on the bench looking at the docks, she crossed her legs, resting her purse on her lap. She had heard Jason mention something about being here when he'd been over at the penthouse and she was determined to run into him and get the answers she wanted. 

Why was he acting odd? Why did he keep going to Alexis's penthouse? Why was he never around anymore? Why did he insist on spending time with Elizabeth Webber? 

A lot of emotions were raging through her at that moment, confusion being in the forefront. Jason was confusing her lately. Carly frowned as she looked out at the water. Jason was never usually confusing… 

There were footsteps off to her right and Carly quickly looked up, a smile coming to her face when she saw Jason coming down the stairs. His head was down, but the second he looked up and saw her, he stopped. 

"Jase…" 

Jason's eyes darted around the docks for a second before landing back on Carly. "Shouldn't you be at home?" 

Carly scowled. "I wanted to talk to you. I figured you'd be there." 

One of his eyebrows lifted, but he didn't comment. When he didn't say anything, Carly spoke again. "What's going on, Jase?" 

He paused for a slight second. Someone who didn't know him well wouldn't have noticed. Carly did. "Nothing." 

Carly raised an eyebrow. "Fine then. If nothing's going on, tell me why I haven't seen you since that day I ran into you and Little Miss Muffet in the elevator." 

Jason's jaw twitched slightly. "I've been busy." 

Shaking her head, Carly snorted. "You think you're the only one who knows when someone is lying? We're best friends Jason… what's going on?" 

Sighing, Jason rubbed his hands over his face. "Nothing that is of your concern." 

She knew she would get nowhere with him like this. She needed to be direct. "What's going on with you and Alexis." 

Jason raised his head out of his hands and looked at her oddly. "What are you talking about?" 

"When you come to the Penthouse, you're either there to talk to Sonny, or you go into Alexis's. What's going on, Jase?" 

"You think there's something going on between me and Alexis?" he asked incredulously. 

Sighing in frustration, Carly threw her hands up in the air. If it wasn't Alexis that was taking up all of Jason's time… it could only be one other person. 

"Why?" Carly asked, a whine seeping into her voice. "Jason she's NO good." 

"Alexis?" 

She let out an exasperated sigh. "Miss Goody-Goody Webber" 

Jason stiffened. "Stop calling her names, Carly." His voice was hard and commanding but it didn't affect Carly at all. 

"She's not good enough for you, Jason. She's not." 

"You don't get to decide that." 

Grabbing his arm, Carly pulled Jason away from the bench and towards the edge of the docks. "I'm not trying to ruin your life again," she said softly. "Really, I'm not. I just want what's best for you, and Elizabeth Webber is not it." 

"I'm the only person who can decide what's best for me." 

Taking a deep sigh, Carly watched Jason's profile. "She's going to hurt you. You're too giving, Jason. Look what happened before. Robin hurt you, Sonny hurt you… I hurt you. Elizabeth is going to do the same thing." 

Jason's jaw clenched slightly. "She's not you, she's not Sonny, and she's not Robin." 

Carly turned to look out at the water. The harbor was full of ships and boats. She turned back to Jason, studying his face. "I pray she isn't." She paused for a second. "Jase… are you in love with her?" 

He didn't respond, his eyes locked on the water in front of her. Heaving a small sigh, Carly gave up, turned, and walked away. 

Once she was out of hearing distance, Jason let out a deep breath and whispered. 

"Yes." 

The world was spinning. 

That much Elizabeth knew, even with her eyes closed. She rolled her head to the side and groaned when everything seemed to start spinning in the other direction. Her eyelids were heavy and no matter how much she tried, she could get them to open. She tried to move her hands but her limbs felt like they were being held down by fifty pound weights. 

It felt as if she were underwater. Her senses were screaming out to her to move, that she was in danger, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't move. 

She felt paralyzed. 

She could hear a voice off to the side and she felt something warm touch her cheek. A hand. A large hand. She tried to jerk her head to the side but nothing happened. The hand was still touching her. 

Bile rose through her stomach but Elizabeth forced herself to calm down. She took a deep breath, trying to put all of her focus in getting her eyes open. She needed to know where she was a who was with her. 

Her body felt so heavy and no part of her would move, no matter how hard she tried. The hand touched her once more, resting on her forehead and she heard the person talking but she couldn't understand them. It felt like she had cotton in her ears. 

There was a prick in her arm and she felt something being injected into her. She tried to pull away but her attempts were useless. She tried to scream out, but she remained mute. 

As she felt herself slipping further and further away, one though floated across her mind and she clung to it with everything she had inside of her. 

_Jason…_

Jason paced up and down the docks. At every little sound, he looked up, only to be disappointed. Elizabeth had promised to meet him there at six. 

It was quarter past seven. 

He knew he could call Francis and find out where she was, but he didn't want her to think that he would invade her privacy like that. Francis was there to keep her safe, not so that Jason would know where she was all of the time. 

Doubts started to pound on Jason's mind. What if those kisses had meant nothing to her? What if she had changed her mind? What if she was with Lucky? 

Shaking his head, as if to shake away those thoughts, Jason looked down at his watch. The second seem to tick by faster than usual and with every tick, he felt his heart drop slightly. 

Looking up, he sighed, feeling tears prickle at his eyes. He opened his eyes wide, letting the wind dry them out. 

She wasn't coming. 

Looking down, he sighed once more before moving to walk away. His phone rang, breaking through the silence around him and he jumped slightly before answering. 

"Morgan." 

"It's me. I'm at Alexis's… you need to get here now." 

Sonny's voice was hard but Jason detected a waver it in. A little something that made him speed up his steps. "What's going on?" He heard his friend hesitate for a minute and Jason's steps sped up even more. 

"It's Francis. Johnny went to take over for him so that Francis could visit his father… he found him at the PC Art Gallery." 

He was jogging now. 

"He was drugged, Jason… Out cold." 

Jason felt his heart stop for a moment and dread seeped into his stomach. "Where's Elizabeth?" 

Sonny hesitated again and Jason picked up the pace, maneuvering out of the way of other pedestrians. He could see the building for Harbor View Penthouses up the way. "Where is she, Sonny?!" 

"She's gone… we can't find her." 

And he ran. 

Yanking open the building door, Jason ran by security without even looking at him, opting the take the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator. He took two steps at a time, his feet slapping against the carpeted stairway. His chest burned but he didn't slow. 

Yanking open the second floor door, he hurried down the hall, throwing open the door to Alexis's penthouse. She wasn't there, but Sonny, Johnny, and Benny were waiting, all three men looking up at the sound of Jason's entrance. 

On the couch, he saw Francis. The man was still unconscious and Jason felt fear grip him a little tighter. 

"Where is she?" he breathed out. 

The three men in front of him exchanged glances. Stepping forward, Sonny reached for Jason's arm. "Jase… sit down." 

Yanking his arm back, Jason glared at his best friend. "Tell me where the hell she is." 

Sonny's eyes darted around the room before he forcefully pushed Jason down onto the couch. "Just sit down and we'll tell you everything we know." 

Jason let himself be pushed down but he was rigid in his seat. "Just tell me." 

Johnny cleared his throat. "I was supposed to go to the Gallery and take over for Francis for the night. I got there and I found him on the floor. I saw Miss Webber's purse there next to him, but she wasn't… I couldn't find her." 

Jason took a deep breath, his face blank, but the men could hear his desperation in his voice. "Tell me more." 

"We don't know where she is," Sonny said, once more stepping forward. "But we've got some leads. That's why Benny's here. I had him check out a few people and he's got the information. We need to go through it and find out who did this." 

Jason's eyes drifted towards the third man; the one who had yet to speak. "What do you have?" 

Benny stepped forward cautiously. "Mr. Corinthos asked me to look in on a… Jeremy Barker awhile ago, but nothing came up. The other night, Francis called me and told me to look up another name to get information on the guy. He told me to look under Thomas Jeremy Baker, Jr." 

Gasping, Jason's eyes widened. All three men looked at him. Jason never showed emotion like that. 

"What is it?" Sonny asked nervously. "Jason…" 

His eyes unfocused, Jason whispered. "Tom Baker…" 

Benny cleared this throat. "Correct. This Jeremy… he's the son of Tom Baker." He cast a glance at Jason, silently wondering what was going on. First Jason asks him to do a check on Tom Baker… now he's doing one on Baker's son. He wanted to ask what was going on, but he knew it wasn't his place. 

"Jeremy spend most of his childhood in mental institution. He was one messed up kid. He's got a warped mind. He was released when he turned eighteen and by then, his father was already in prison," Benny said, looking down at the file. "He disappeared for a while but surfaced again here, at PCU. He enrolled and acts specifically to be placed in the Art Interpretation class… Miss Webber's class." 

Jason felt like he couldn't breathe. His instincts were telling him that that was the man who had Elizabeth. He knew it. 

He dropped his head into his hands. The kid had a history of mental problems, his father was a rapist, and now he had Elizabeth. 

Looking up, Jason caught Sonny's attention. The older man saw tears in Jason's usually clear azure eyes and his breath caught in his throat. 

"We'll find her," Sonny promised. "We'll get her back." 

[Chapter Twenty-Three][1]   
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	23. Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Three

The steady hum of a car engine roared in her ears and Elizabeth drifted back into consciousness. The leather underneath her cheek stuck to her skin, the smell invading her senses. 

At least she had that again. Her senses. Her head was a little clearer now, a big improvement from the last time she'd been awake. Her eyes still felt heavy though… too heavy to open. 

She could feel the rhythmic movement of the car as it traveled over the natural bumps in the road and she felt her stomach tightened. It growled quietly and she felt a sharp hunger pain. 

How long had she been out? Where was she? Who was driving? What was happening? 

The car slowed and she felt it pull over. Faintly, she heard the driver door open and felt the shift as the weight of the person left the vehicle. Her stomach clenched once more as she listened to the door slam shut, but this time it was out of fear, not hunger. 

She tried opening here eyes but they still felt like bricks. Her mouth was dry and her arm throbbed. Something was seriously wrong. 

_Drugs._

The word floated through her mind and brought with it another wave of fear. 

A door closest to her opened and she felt a breeze of warm, spring air blow at her hair. She could feel someone's presence and she tried to move away. 

Her muscles felt like lead weights and they screamed out at her when she tried to move. Her face scrunched up at the shot of pain that ran through her arms when she tried to lift them. 

"Don't do that…" 

She felt two hands pushing down on her arms and she wanted to jerk away but she couldn't. The hands moved up to her shoulders and gave them a gentle squeeze. 

"I know you're uncomfortable, but it will be over soon. We're almost there." 

The voice sounded distorted to her ears and Elizabeth strained to understand him. She could feel herself slipping away again and she cursed herself for not being able to do anything. 

_The drugs._

She felt his hand move up and caress her cheek and she tensed under his touch. 

"Just a little longer…" 

She wanted to scream, she wanted to cry… She wanted to be back in her studio, a painting sitting in front of her, the music softly playing. She wanted to be on Jason's bike, riding against the wind. She wanted to be in his arms… She wanted to be anywhere but here. 

"When we get there, no one will bother us. Don't worry… everything will be over soon." 

The hand brushed her hair off of her forehead before pulling away. She head the door close and listened as the man walked back to the driver's side. 

And a tear escaped her closed eyes, trickling down her cheek. 

Jason paced back and forth across the penthouse floor. His back was rigid with tension and his face haggard. 

He hadn't slept. 

His eyes were glazed and a shadowy stubble had grown on his face. Wearily, he wiped his hands over his chin, his fingers catching on the scratchy hairs. 

Sonny stepped out of the kitchen, two coffee mugs in his hand. He paused for a moment at the doorway, taking time to study his friend. 

Jason looked like Hell. 

As he watched his best friend pace, he was hit with a thought. His eyes widened slightly and he sucked in a breath. 

Jason was in love with her. 

He had known that Jason cared about Elizabeth, but watching him pace, he knew that the feelings went far beyond just caring. You don't get torn apart over someone you just care about. 

It was love. 

"When did you know?" Sonny asked as he stepped out into the living room, holding the cup out towards his friend. 

Jason's eyes darted around before settling on Sonny's face and he reached out for the coffee. "When did I know what?" 

His voice was exasperated and Sonny couldn't keep from letting the corners of his mouth turn up. It was definitely love. 

"That you were in love with Elizabeth." 

Jason's head jerked up and he almost spilled his coffee all over himself. "I never said-" 

"I know you didn't… you didn't have to." Sonny took a sip from his cup, keeping his eyes on Jason, "So? When did you know?" 

Jason glared. "Is this really the time for this conversation?" 

Nodding, Sonny took the glare in stride. He knew Jason meant nothing by it. "You're thinking about her too much." 

"And you think talking about her will stop that?" 

"You're thinking about her disappearance. You need to think of the good times you guys had together. So when did you first realized it?" 

Heaving a sigh, Jason sat down on the couch, taking a long drink from his cup. The coffee was hot, burning his mouth, but he didn't care. He took a deep breath. Talking about his feelings wasn't usually something he liked to do, but Sonny seemed to think it would help. 

"When I left, I wasn't sure if I would be coming back or not, and… and saying goodbye to her… well it was a lot harder than I thought it would be. I caught her by the docks and told her I was leaving and… and I almost changed by mine just looking at her." 

Sonny moved to sit next to his friend. "We'll find her, Jason." 

Taking a deep breath, Jason looked down into his mug. "Yeah… but will she still be alive?" 

"She's still alive. If she weren't, you'd feel it." Sonny reached forward, tapping the area over Jason's heart with his fist. "You'd feel it right there." 

Jason leaned back and was silent for a long moment before finally speaking. "Did Benny find out anything more?" 

"He's working on it." 

"I know Elizabeth told you about the rape, but did she tell you who he was? Tom Baker. This Jeremy guy is her rapist's son." 

"Benny's working on it, and he's got my best men helping him." 

Sighing, Jason rubbed his hand over his face. "I should be out there looking for her." 

"You wouldn't be of any help. We have no idea where to work. Once Benny finds a paper trail, we'll know where to start and we'll get her back." 

"Looking straight ahead, Jason gripped the coffee mug tightly, his knuckles turning white. "If he hurts her…" 

"We'll get it." 

Turning towards his friend, Jason looked Sonny straight in the eye. "I can't lose her, Sonny… I can't… I need her." 

The PCPD station was full of activity, officers in blue running around. Slowly, Lucky pushed the small, wooden gate open that separated the station from the hallway. 

He looked around, his eyes scanning for the one person he wanted to see. His eyes landed on him and he rushed forward, pushing to get through. 

"Lieutenant Taggert!" 

Looking away from the file in his hands, Marcus Taggert sighed when he saw Lucky Spencer walking towards him. "What do you need Mr. Spencer? If you hadn't noticed, we're busy." 

Lucky took a deep breath. "I want to file a report." 

One of Taggert's eyebrows raised. "A report?" 

"A missing person's report." 

Taggert studied Lucky. "Who's missing, Lucky?" 

"Elizabeth. She's been living in her studio but she hasn't been there in days, and no one else has seen her. No one knows where she is." 

"You say she's been gone for days? How many days?" 

Lucky looked around at the bustling station. "At least three." He looked back at Taggert. "And I know who took her." 

"Who?" 

Lucky's eyes hardened. "Jason Morgan." 

[Chapter Twenty-Four][1]   
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	24. Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Four

Taggert leaned forward in his chair, his hand poised over a report sheet, ready to write. "Tell me everything, Lucky." 

Taking a deep breath, Lucky began. "I hadn't seen Elizabeth in days and days, so I went to her studio to wait for her. I waited more than twenty-four hours and she never showed up. She ALWAYS stops by her studio every day." 

Taggert's eyebrows merged. "Doesn't Elizabeth live at Kelly's?" 

"She moved out." 

The lieutenant's eyebrows raised curiously but he didn't comment. "Ok, so… why do you think Jason Morgan is involved." 

"I don't think, I know." Lucky's eyes scanned around the station. "Jason has been trying to get Elizabeth for a long time now." 

Putting his pen down, Taggert crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. "Trying to… get Elizabeth? What do you mean?" 

Lucky scowled. "He wants her. He doesn't understand that he can't have her. He poisoned her mind against me and made her do things that she would never usually do." 

"Things such as…" 

Lucky cleared his throat. The last thing he wanted was to get into how Elizabeth had dumped him for Jason. It hurt too much… "That's not the issue. The issue is that Jason kidnapped Elizabeth!" 

"Do you have any evidence?" 

"Why do I need evidence? I know what happened. Jason took El-" 

Taggert leaned forward. "Lucky, as much as I want to bring Morgan down, I can't do anything without evidence, and in case you haven't noticed, it's busy here. I don't have time to waste with you if you don't have evidence…" 

Sighing, Lucky stood. "I may not have evidence that Jason took her, but I know he did. And you investigate Elizabeth's disappearance then you'll see that he took her too." 

"What motive would he have to kidnap her? Last I saw, they were friends." 

Taggert sighed and shook his head. Lucky was too emotional to be thinking straight and he had the nagging feeling that he was about to waste the time of him and some of his men, but if Elizabeth was missing, he needed to do something about it. 

"We'll start an investigation, but are you sure she didn't just go off on vacation or to visit relatives or something." 

Leaning forward, Lucky looked the lieutenant dead in the eye. "She's missing, Taggert." 

"Ok… then we'll find her, Lucky… We'll find her." 

"I think we've got something here, gentlemen." 

Jason and Sonny both looked up as Benny came rushing into the penthouse. He held a folder in his hand and he waved it around as he stopped in front of the two men. His eyes drifted towards the stairs and Sonny quickly shook his head, answering the unasked questions. 

"She's at a Deception meeting. Tell us what you've got." 

"Jeremy Baker rented a room at the Charles Street motel. The room was paid for in cash for an entire month." 

Sonny frowned. "That's a lot of money for a college student." 

Benny nodded eagerly. "It gets better. It seems Jeremy was often visited by men we've identified as working for Sorel." 

Swearing under his breath, Jason started pacing. "So this has to do with Sorel?" He wanted to kick himself for involving Elizabeth in all of this. 

"I think it's deeper than that. Word is, Jeremy's missing and Sorel's men are looking for him. And they aren't too happy with him right now. The beat on him is that he doesn't understand how to follow directions and he botched up a job for Sorel. And important job." 

"What kind of job?" Sonny asked. 

Benny shook his head. "We couldn't find that out, but we do know that it had to do with Miss Webber." 

"More, we need more," Jason said impatiently. 

Opening the folder in his hand, Benny peered at the information. "We found out from our sources that Baker ordered a large amount of Chlorzoxazone." 

Jason stopped pacing and raised an eyebrow. "A muscle relaxant?" 

"Funny thing is that he ordered it in a liquid form, when it is usually prescribed as pills. If you give a person enough of it, it can lead to fainting, upset stomachs, disorientation… It makes you feel paralyzed. All of the stuff Francis was dealing with. It slows the central nervous system. And Baker ordered enough to put an elephant to sleep for a month." 

Rubbing his hand over his face, Jason swore. "What else?" 

"Baker's moving, probably because Sorel is after him now… He doesn't seem too smart so he's bound to leave a paper trial. When he does, we'll get him, boss." 

Sighing, Sonny nodded to the older man, motioning towards the door. "Inform us ASAP if you get anymore information." 

"Will do." With a nod of his head, Benny gave Jason a quick glance before walking out the door. 

"He's drugging her," Jason said as soon as the door closed. He walked over to the balcony doors and looked out them. "He's putting something into her system so that she can't fight back." 

His voice wavered slightly and Sonny felt his heart go out to his friend. "Don't think about that right now, man." 

"She's can't fight back, Sonny… God knows what he's doing to her… and she can't fight back." 

Forcefully, Sonny pulled Jason away from the doors and put his hands on the younger man's shoulders. "Push that out of your mind now, Jason. She needs you to be thinking clearly. You can't think about that." 

Jason's eyes roamed around the penthouse. "I… I have to go." 

Sonny didn't release his hold on his friend. "Where are you going, Jason?" 

"I can't help her here…" 

"You can't help her running around out there either. Stay here." 

Jason shook his head. "I need… I need to get away. Let me go, Sonny." 

Sighing, Sonny slowly released his hold on his friend, watching as Jason picked up his leather jacket and walked out the door. He watched his friend slam the door behind him and he shook his head. 

Things didn't look good… and it didn't seem like they were going to get better anytime soon. 

The sound of a door closing jerked Elizabeth into consciousness and she struggled to open her eyes. Finally succeeding, she rubbed her hands over her face. 

Her arms felt like they were connected to weights, but she could finally move them, and that was a plus. She rubbed her eyes, hoping that it would help her regain her focus. As her eyesight cleared, she looked around, frowning at what she saw. 

The tan leather on the far creaked as she forced herself into a sitting position. Her entire body screamed against it, but she ignored the pain. Groaning, she sat up and looked around. 

The car was empty except for her and it was parked in the parking lot of some motel. She The sign was dirty and she couldn't make out where she was, but she noticed something about 'The Lilac City' under the layer of dirt. 

A sinking feeling started to form in the pit of her stomach and she reached for the door handle, her uncoordinated fingers fumbling. She saw someone approaching the car and her heart stopped as she recognized them. 

"No," she whispered, her hand frozen on the handle. "Not you… please, not you." 

Her eyes widened as the front door opened and the person got inside, turning to grin at her. "You're up." 

Backing away from him, Elizabeth felt her jaw drop and she shook her head, not believing who was sitting in front of her, who obviously kidnapped her. 

"Jeremy?" 

Fear rooted itself into her stomach as a slow smile spread across his face. 

[Chapter Twenty-Five][1]   
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	25. Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Five

"Eliza… you're up." 

Elizabeth's eyes widened as Jeremy crawled into the back seat with her. Ignoring the aching in her body, she backed up, flattening herself against the opposite side of the car. 

"Get away from me." 

Pain flashed in Jeremy's eyes for a second before he concealed it. "You don't have to be scared anymore," he said calmly. He reached out towards her, stopping when she flinched, his hand still stretched out in front of him. 

"Don't touch me." 

Jeremy winced. "You don't mean that, Eliza. You know I would never hurt you." 

She stared at him in disbelief. "You kidnapped me!" 

"I saved you," he said, correcting her. 

"You drugged me." 

Jeremy's eyes softened and he placed his hand on her cheek. Elizabeth tried to jerk away but he grabbed her head with his other hand, keeping her in place. "I had to. I only did it because I had to. You made me do it." 

Elizabeth's eyes widened. "I never made you do anything. I sure didn't make you kidnap me!" 

Jeremy tilted his head to the side, peering at her out of the corner of his eye. He truly looked like he thought he was innocent. There was something wrong with the way he was looking at her, something that made her hair stand on end. 

Something was off. 

"You wouldn't have stayed quiet. We were in a museum. I had to make sure you were quiet. If you were loud, you would have ruined it." 

The sinking feeling in her stomach was back with full force. "Ruined what," she asked cautiously. 

The corners of his mouth turned upward. "The plan. We never would be together now if you had been loud. I had to make sure you were quiet so that we could be together." 

Elizabeth trembled slightly as Jeremy moved closer. She pressed herself against the door, her hand fumbling for the handle. "Together?" 

"We love each other, Eliza… and now we can be together." 

Elizabeth's jaw dropped and she tightened her grip on the handle. "You're insane." 

Just as her hand was pulling on the handle to open the door, Jeremy leapt forward, grabbing her by the shoulders and pinning her down against the seat. He threw himself on top of her to make sure she couldn't get away, his knee pressing hard into her stomach. 

"I AM NOT INSANE!" 

Elizabeth stiffened under him as she felt his sticky breath on her face. She looked up and saw angry, wild eyes staring back at her and she shuddered. He was pushing the air out of her stomach with his knee and his hands were bruising her arms. 

"DON'T SAY I'M INSANE! I'M NOT!" 

He pushed into her with every word he said, his hands pulling her off the seat and slamming her back down to punctuate his words. Elizabeth's head slammed against the door and she felt the world tilt as her vision blurred from impact. 

"Please… stop…" 

"SHUT UP!" 

One of his hands let go of her shoulders, going for her hair. He pulled, jerking her head to the side until he smacked into the back side of the seat in front of her. She felt him pull back his knee before ramming in into her stomach once more. 

"I'M NOT INSANE!" 

"Please…" 

"DON'T CALL ME INSANE!" 

The edges of her vision started to fade and Elizabeth desperately tried to stay conscious. She could hear him screaming at her, but it felt like she was under water, and it sounded like he was so far away… 

And then it stopped. 

His hands went away, his knee left her stomach, and she felt him get off of her. Air rushed back into her lungs and Elizabeth greedily sucked it up. She felt him move and thought for a second that he was leaving again but he pulled on her arm. She jerked away from him, but he pulled her into a sitting position and she had to bite her lip as her sore muscles screamed in protest. 

When she looked back up at him, his eyes were calm once more, not wild like they had been. "Get up," he said calmly. 

Taking in deep breaths, Elizabeth watched him out of the corner of her eye as she brushed her hair out of her face. "Where are we?" she asked quietly. 

Jeremy reached for her arm but she pulled away. A shadow crossed his face and she begrudgingly let him grab her hand, pulling her out of the car. Her body screamed at her and her legs threatened to give out on her when she stood. 

The wind blew and her hair flew in front of her face. Reaching up, Elizabeth pushed her hair out of the way. She closed her eyes and she could almost imagine being by the bridge near the statues. 

"Start walking, Eliza. Don't try anything… I don't want to have to drug you again." 

Almost. 

Opening her eyes, Elizabeth noticed for the first time that they were in the parking lot of a motel. Her eyes scanned over the signs on the buildings and her heart dropped. 

Rochester, NY. 

Practically on the other side of the state from Port Charles. 

Jeremy was pulling her towards the motel and her heart sank with every step. His grip on her arm was forceful and she felt tears come to her eyes. 

They stopped in front of a door on the back side of the motel and Jeremy quickly unlocked it. "Get inside." 

"Why are you doing this?" Elizabeth asked, unable to keep the tears out of her voice. 

Looking down at her, Jeremy's hand came up to her cheek and Elizabeth jerked away. "Because I love you." 

Elizabeth shook her head. "This isn't love…" 

Jeremy's hold on her arm tightened slightly and she saw anger flash in his eyes. "I saved you, Eliza… that's love. One day, you'll love me as much as I love you." 

"You didn't save me from anything." 

His nostrils flared and she stepped back when she saw something flicker in his eyes. "I saved you from things you don't even know about." 

"Things like what." 

His grip on her hand was painful. "Death. Did you know I was supposed to kill you. But I didn't because now we can be together. We'll travel around the country and no one will ever find us… and we can be happy." 

Elizabeth felt a tear roll down her cheek. "I will never be happy with you… You should have killed me." 

His hand snaked out and slapped her across the face, her head jerking to the side. Her legs gave out from under her and Elizabeth felt the sharp pain of her head connecting with the edge of the door. 

And she fell to the floor. 

The roar of the motorcycle echoed in his ears long after he'd cut the engine. Sidestepping the branches of the bushes, Jason walked around the perimeter of what used to be the estate. He inhaled deeply, taking in the warm Spring air. 

His heart hurt. 

The ache he promised himself he would never feel again after Robin was back in full force, ten times as strong. 

He looked around the area, taking in the overgrown wildflowers littered around what was left of the foundation. Lila would have loved to clean the gardens up but he would never bring his grandmother to the estate ruins. 

It used to be HIS place. The place he went when it was too hard to be on the bridge. The place he went when he wanted to be in the middle of nowhere, yet surrounded by something at the same time. It was where he went to think, and it was where he went to feel nothing at all. But it wasn't anymore. It wasn't his place… it was THEIRS. 

And all he felt now… was her. 

"God, Elizabeth…" 

His voice was broken and Jason felt himself falling apart as he looked around. "Where are you?" 

He looked up at the sky and sighed, wishing that it was night so that he'd be able to see the stars. Elizabeth loved the stars. 

"Come back to me." 

He had just gotten her, and now she was gone. 

Stalking over to the statues, Jason stood in front of the one of the horse. Angrily, he fisted his hand, hitting the horse statue with everything inside of him. His knuckles bled but he didn't feel the pain. 

Kicking the small statue out of his place in the ground, he picked it up, hurtling it against a tree. The head broke off, little pieces of stone crumbling against the bark of the tree, leaving a white residue. 

Moving towards the statue of the girl, Jason lifted his fist, pausing with his hand in mid-air when he caught sight of the girl's face. 

_"The statue of the girl. Did she have a long dress or a short dress on?"_

_"It was long."_

_"Was she smiling?"_

Jason sighed, lowering his fist. His eyes stung and he leaned his forehead against the statue, taking in deep breaths. 

She was not smiling. 

[Chapter Twenty-Six][1]   
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	26. Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Six

Rolling his neck around, Taggert sighed as he looked at the stack of papers in front of him. With Mac no longer Police Commissioner, things around the station had gotten more complicated. Everything seemed to go slower, more unorganized, and that mean more work. 

His eyes drifted over to the file sitting on the side of the desk, away from everything else. The file containing Lucky's report. 

He'd filed the report, making Elizabeth's disappearance an official case, but Taggert was getting a funny feeling about the whole situation. 

Elizabeth was a special girl – he knew that for a fact. He'd seen her strength of character first hand, first with her rape, and then with the fire. The fact that she was missing didn't set well with him. 

Sighing, Taggert took a long sip of his coffee before reaching over to pick up the file. Missing Persons cases were always hard for him. Reading over the information Lucky had given, Taggert sighed. 

Something didn't feel right. 

He'd send a couple officers over to Elizabeth's studio as soon as Lucky had left the other day but they had come up with nothing. Not that they were able to do much without a warrant, but they had ruled out the possibility of forced entry to her studio. 

There was something he was missing. 

His eyes drifted over the report of what Lucky had said, landing on a single name. A name that made him stiffen in his seat. 

_Jason Morgan._

As much as he hated the man, as much as he wanted to put him away, his gut was telling him that Jason didn't have Elizabeth. That didn't mean that Jason wasn't the reason Elizabeth was gone, but Taggert knew that Jason himself wasn't the kidnapper like Lucky had said. 

Thinking back to the times he'd seen Elizabeth with Jason, he sighed. There was probably more between the two of them than he, or Lucky for that matter, knew about and he cursed Jason for getting involved with Elizabeth Webber. 

Looking down at the picture of Elizabeth that Lucky had left, Taggert shook his head, feeling the familiar protectiveness he felt whenever he looked at her. 

She'd gone through too much in her short life, and after the fire, he'd promised himself that he would keep her safe. It had been a promise he made more for himself than for her. He had needed to know that what he was doing was actually helping people and he had needed to know that innocence could be preserved, so he'd taken on the responsibility of looking out for Elizabeth Webber, checking up on her at Kelly's whenever he could, being nice to her... 

And he'd failed. 

His gut was telling him that something was wrong, and his gut was usually right. "You're going to be ok, Elizabeth…" 

Picking up the phone to his right, Taggert put it up to his ear, rubbing his face with his hand. 

"It's Taggert… I want you to put an APB out on Elizabeth Webber…" 

"We have something, boss." 

Jerking his head upward, Sonny sighed a sigh of relief when he saw Benny come rushing through the Penthouse door. "What did you find?" 

Benny's eyes roamed around the Penthouse, a look that Sonny caught. "Carly's sleeping and Jason's not here, so just tell me what's going on." 

Clearing his throat, Benny focused back on his boss. "I went with some of the men to Pentonville to… persuade Baker into spilling about his son. He gave us an address of a motel where they kid is staying at. It's down off of Charles Street. I've got men surrounding the place waiting for you and Jason." 

Sonny let a small smile come to his face as he moved towards the door. "Call Jason on his cell and let's get the hell over there. To think… she's been right under our noses…" 

The ride over to the end of Charles Street was short and Sonny frowned when he caught sight of the motel. They weren't in the best place in Port Charles and Sonny frowned at the thought of Elizabeth being held there. The motel was grungy and practically empty, meaning that if Jeremy did anything to her, no one was likely to hear her if she called out for help. 

Five minutes after Sonny had gotten there, Jason rolled up on his bike. Stepping out of the limo, Sonny watched as his men slowly came out of their hiding spots. He walked up to his friend, noticing the frown on the younger man's face. 

"She's not here," Jason said, his eyes scanning the building. 

Sonny frowned. "This is a good lead, Jase… Benny checked it out. She could be-" 

"She's not here," he said again, his voice hard. He turned to Sonny, lowering his voice. "You told me that I would be able to feel something in here," he said, motioning to his heart. "I don't feel anything." 

Sonny paused for a moment before nodding. "But maybe we'll find something in there that'll help us." 

Jason looked down at the man he thought of as a best friend, a brother, and a father. "What if we find something we don't want to." 

Sighing, Sonny patted Jason's shoulder. "You're not usually a man who thinks about the 'what if' in life." 

"I've never had to think about Elizabeth being hurt like this…" 

Shaking his head, Jason looked back towards the building. When he looked back at his friend, Sonny saw that Jason's eyes were once again cold, but he recognized that as protection. 

Jason Morgan was scared. 

Slowly the two men made their way into the motel room, their men surrounding them. The lock on the door was quickly taken care of, and taking a deep breath, Jason stepped inside, flicking on the light. 

The walls were covered with pictures and Jason sucked in a breath when he saw that all of the pictures were of Elizabeth. Bile rose in his throat when he caught sight of a set of pictures where Elizabeth was sleeping in her studio. 

"Bastard…" 

Sonny stepped inside of the room, his eyes scanning over the walls. "My God… he's sick." 

Jason's jaw clenched as he looked around the room. Elizabeth's schedule at PCU lay on his desk along with information on her childhood. 

Moving towards his best friend, Jason lowered his voice. "We have to find her Sonny… she can't stay with him any longer…" 

Sonny nodded slowly. "I know… I know." 

Jason's eyes bore into her. "Now… we have to find her now." 

Rubbing her wrists, Elizabeth watched as Jeremy paced around the room. "What are you going to do with me?" 

He turned to look at her, a confused look on his face. "We'll live happily ever after, Eliza… this is our fairytale." 

She glared at him, not caring if she made him mad or not. "You call kidnapping a fairytale?" 

"I rescued you, Eliza. The prince always rescues the woman in fairytales. I rescued you." 

Elizabeth glared at him, biting her tongue to keep herself from saying anything else. 

"Are you hungry?" Jeremy asked suddenly stepping towards her. 

As much as she hated it, her stomach growled at the word 'hungry' and she absently wondered how long it'd been since she'd eaten. 

"I can take you to the small café over there… if you're good. If you promise not to run away. Bad things will happen if you try to run away from me." 

Elizabeth shook her head at him. "How can you say that you love me and then turn around and threaten me?" 

Jeremy stepped closer to her. "I'm not threatening you." 

"What do you call what you just did?" 

His eyes softened and he brushed back a piece of her hair, ignoring the fact that she flinched under his touch. "I said that so that you don't get hurt. I've read all about you, Eliza. I know how much you treasure your friendships. I know you wouldn't want any of your friends to get hurt." 

"What are you talking about?" 

Jeremy twirled her hair around his finger. "Jason Morgan." 

Elizabeth sucked in her breath, her eyes widening and Jeremy frowned at her reaction. "If you were to try and run away from me, something very bad could happen to Morgan." 

Elizabeth bit her lip, not wanting to hear what he was going to say next, but unable to stop listening. 

"Something very bad could happen… Mr. Sorel would see to it." 

Elizabeth felt herself start to shake. "Sorel? Oh, God… you're involved with Sorel?" 

"So you'll stay by my side? You won't try to run away if we go to the café?" 

Mutely, Elizabeth nodded her head, feeling all of the fight ebb out of her body. Her eyes drifted over to Jeremy and she shivered. There was something very wrong with him. She knew that if Sorel was involved, she knew that Jason would find her… 

She just didn't know if she'd be alive when that happened. 

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	27. Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Seven

"Don't you try anything." 

Jeremy's fingers dug into Elizabeth's forearm as the two of them walked out of the motel. The place was nearly deserted but, nonetheless, he grabbed for her hand like a boyfriend would grab for their girlfriend. 

"You wouldn't want Mr. Sorel to hurt Morgan now, would you. And I don't want to have to drug you again… but I will if you're bad. Do don't do anything foolish." 

Elizabeth nodded slowly, keeping her eyes down. Her head was throbbing, her entire body ached, and fear was making a permanent home in the pit of her stomach. 

When Jeremy saw her nod, he softened, his hand reaching out to brush her hair away from her face. Elizabeth flinched and for a moment, his hand froze, millimeters from her cheek. 

"Now why did you have to go and do that, Eliza," he said, pulling his hand away. His other hand tightened the grip he had on her and Elizabeth bit her lip when his hold felt like it was going to crush her fingers. 

Elizabeth looked down when she felt tears come to her eyes. He would not see her cry if she had anything to say about it. 

"It's ok… I understand you're not used to this," Jeremy said as he led the two of them to the small café around the corner. "You'll get used to it though. Then I won't have to keep mentioning Morgan and the drugs because you won't fight me anymore. You'll realized that I'm good for you… you'll love me like I love you." 

Elizabeth said nothing. Her body felt tired and she felt like there was no way for her to win against him. She couldn't risk having Sorel hurt Jason because she did something stupid; she'd never be able to live with herself if something happened to him. There was nothing for her to do but keep Jeremy from getting too angry at her. She'd seen his temper and she didn't want to have to see it again. 

"You'll love me," Jeremy continued, ignoring the fact that she hadn't said anything since they left the hotel. "And we'll be together for the rest of our lives. We'll be able to travel all over the US. Can you image all the things we can go see together? California… I know you've never been there… and the Grand Canyon… It'll be fun, Eliza." 

A tear tricked down her cheek at the thought of being stuck with Jeremy for the rest of her life and Elizabeth longed to be back in Port Charles. Her heart ached and she discretely tried to wipe at her eyes. 

"We'll be invincible, Eliza… just you and me." 

Looking up at the sky, Elizabeth sighed, looking at the stars that twinkled, remembering all of the times she would look up at that very sky after a motorcycle ride. 

_Jason…_

"I need you…" 

Jeremy looked down at her as the two of them walked up to the café. "What was that?" 

Elizabeth lowered her head and looked down at her feet. "Nothing." 

Before walking into the café, Jeremy put his finger to her chin, lifting it so that she would look at him. "You'll be happy with me soon, Eliza… Once you realize you're never getting away… you'll be happy." 

The two walked into the café, Elizabeth stepping inside after Jeremy. The place reminded her of Kelly's, with the same hunter green color scheme, but it was a little bigger than Kelly's, and not as homey. 

There was a large, welcoming woman standing behind the counter, a dishtowel resting over one of her shoulders. "Hey there you two, what can I get for you?" 

Smiling at the woman behind the counter, Jeremy wrapped his arm around Elizabeth's waist, holding her just a little too tightly. Elizabeth cringed at his touch but there wasn't much she could do. 

"Two orders of your dinner special." 

The woman gave them a quick smile as she scribbled down their order on the pad in her hand. "It's so nice to see people like you guys in here." 

Jeremy smiled at the woman, bringing Elizabeth closer to the side of his body. "People like us?" 

The woman grinned. "Young love. It's so rare these days…" 

At the word love, Elizabeth's eyes widened and her mouth opened, ready to correct the waitress. "No-" 

"-Young love isn't often found these days," Jeremy said, cutting her off. He gripped her a little tighter and Elizabeth cringed. "But Eliza and me… we're for real." 

The woman smiled. "You two are adorable… I'll go put in your orders." 

Jeremy watched the woman walk away before leading Elizabeth to one of the tables. "See, even she thinks we belong together." 

Elizabeth said nothing, rubbing the sides of her arms where Jeremy had gripped them. She bit her lip, not wanting to say anything that would set him off. 

The door to the café opened and Jeremy looked up, stiffening at what he saw. His hand snaked across the table, gripping Elizabeth's. Her head jerked up at the unexpected movement and she looked at him quizzically. His eyes were focused on something behind her and slowly, she turned her head. 

A uniformed cop was smiling by the door, talking to one of the couples near the entrance. His hand moved up to remove his hat as his eyes scanned over the other occupants of the café. Elizabeth's eyes widened and for a second, hope flickered inside of her as she saw the cop's eyes moving closer and closer to her. 

One look at her would tell him that something was wrong, wouldn't it? She prayed that he would have the sense to realized that she wasn't where she wanted to be. 

Elizabeth was so caught up in trying to will the policeman to look at her that she was caught off guard when Jeremy pulled her up out of her chair. He grasped her hand as if they were a couple but the force of his grip was far from gentle. 

"What about our food?" Elizabeth asked urgently as he quietly pulled her towards the doors. Elizabeth's head turned back to look at the cop and she inhaled deeply when she saw that his eyes were locked on hers, forgetting that fact that Jeremy was pulling her away from the one person there who she thought could help her. 

A second later, the door to the café was closed, separating Elizabeth from the officer and she watched, her head dropping, as he looked away. 

Sunlight streamed into the Penthouse through the open curtains. Jason stood by the window, a warm mug in his hands. A slight stubble had formed on his face during the night and the coarse hairs caught on his hands as he rubbed them over his chin. 

Carly stood at the top of the stairs, her eyes riveted on her best friend. He'd been standing there since she woke up, over an hour ago, and it didn't seem like he planned to move. An uneasy feeling settled over her. 

This wasn't normal Jason Morgan behavior. 

Slowly making her way down the stairs, Carly kept one eye on her friend. He didn't move, didn't look away from the window, as she cautiously stepped towards him. 

"Jase?" 

He remained still, his eyes still focused out the window. 

Carly tried again, this time reaching forward to brush her hand against his arm. "Jase?" When he flinched, she pulled back, only to leave her hand hovering over him. 

"What's going on? What happened? Jase, talk to me." 

"Go away, Carly." 

His voice was soft, barely audible. Although she heard him, Carly chose to ignore him, opting instead to step closer. "What's the matter?" 

Jason was still for a moment, but when he finally turned around, Carly gasped at the sight of him. "My God… what did she do to you?" 

She stepped forward, reaching for the mug in his hands. She tugged on his arm, dragging him towards the couch. "I told you Lizzie Webber would hurt you. She looks innocent, Jason, but she's nothing but an little bi-" 

Her words were cut off as Jason yanked his arm out of her grasp, the sudden movement sending the mug crashing against the floor. "NEVER talk about her like that." 

Carly's eyes widened. "Why are you defending her still? She hurt you, Jase, I can see it." 

Jason's face turned to stone, his chin tilting up slightly as he looked at Carly through narrow eyes. "Drop it Carly. I'm telling you now… don't get into this with me." 

"No… I will get into this. I warned you, Jason. I warned you that she would hurt you. But you didn't listen to me, did you? What did she do? What, did you find her with Lucky? I knew she was a whore." 

As soon as the word was out of her mouth, Jason had closed the distance between the two of them, his hand placed none-to-gently over her mouth. "I said never talk about her like that. Don't even say her name. Don't do this to me Carly – now is not the time." 

Carly's eyes widened. Jason was never like this. She pulled her head away from his hand. "What's going on." 

"I've stood by you as you destroyed peoples' lives, Carly. As you destroyed mine. I've been loyal to you-" 

"That's why we're best friends," she said quietly. 

"You've made me angry before but I've always forgiven you." 

She nodded, opening her mouth to say something but Jason cut her off. 

"You're about to cross a line, Carly. If you cross it, I won't be there for you. I won't forgive you. I said it before, and I'm going to say it again. Leave Elizabeth alone. Don't comment about her, don't tell me how she's going to hurt me… don't even say her name. Just leave it alone." 

Silent, Carly watched as Jason stepped away, sighed, and rubbed his hands over his face. "What's going on?" she asked again. 

Jason's eyes drifted to the window. 

"Go away, Carly." 

"Taggert, we've got something on the Webber girl." 

Looking up from his file, Taggert motioned for the young rookie to step inside his cubicle area. "What did you find?" 

"Johnson in Rochester called in… said he spotted her in some café." 

Taggert raised his eyebrows. "Rochester? Was she with someone?" 

The young man nodded. "A male…" 

"This man… he wasn't Jason Morgan, was he?" 

"We asked, but Johnson said no. He said he hadn't seen the young man before… but he did say that Webber had bruises on her arms." 

Taggert's jaw clenched as he stood, reaching around his chair for his jacket as he raced out of the station. He called over his shoulder as he stepped outside. "Get a group of men together… If Miss Webber is in Rochester… we'll find her." 

Around the corner of the station, Lucky nodded his head and took off running. 

_Rochester._

[Chapter Twenty-Eight][1]   
[Home][2]

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	28. Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Eight

"What do you think, Eliza?" 

Looking up briefly, Elizabeth looked around. A medium-sized cabin stood in front of her, surrounded on both sides by woods. The drive from the motel hadn't been long – at least if felt like it hadn't. Jeremy had blindfolded her, insisting that it would be a surprise. 

"What are we doing here?" she asked quietly, her arms coming up to circle around herself. 

Jeremy smiled as he pulled a couple bags out of the trunk, his eyes scanning over the cabin. "This is going to be our home. We can stay here for a while before we start traveling again." 

Elizabeth shivered. "What about the motel?" 

Scoffing, Jeremy pulled on her arm as he walked by, dragging her to the porch. "A motel isn't a home. It's just a room you rent." 

Elizabeth's mind went to the room Jason rented above Jake's. It wasn't home for him, just a place where he stayed, but she would give anything to be there at that moment. 

The cabin was nothing special. Two floors, rustic, filled with just the bare necessities. It was more spacious than the motel room had been and for that Elizabeth was grateful. Her eyes scanned around the room as Jeremy pulled her around, showing her where everything was. 

"Don't think you can escape," he said, as they walked up the stairs. "I'm going to have my eye on you and I made sure that all of the exits need keys to open from the inside… and I'm the only one who has a key." 

"You're holding my like I'm a prisoner, yet you keep saying that I'll be happy. How can I be happy when you're treating me like this." 

Jeremy's eyes darkened and Elizabeth immediately bit her lip, mentally berating herself for saying anything. 

"I'm only doing what I have do," he said through clenched teeth. He pulled on her arm and Elizabeth jerked forward, stumbling. She fell to her knees, her hands scraping against the hardwood floors. "Soon you'll realized that, Eliza… and you'll thank me." 

His eyes seemed to brighten a few shades, the darkness fading away. The wrinkles on his forehead faded away as his face calmed. "Go to your room and get to bed. It's late." 

He turned on his heel, leaving her on the stairway landing. Elizabeth watched him go for a moment before turning and slowly climbing the steps to her room. It was sparsely decorated, the windows nailed shut. 

Heaving a sigh, Elizabeth sat down on the bed. Her body ached with every move she made and her stomach growled angrily. Leaning against the backboard, her eyes flickered to the window; she could faintly see the stars through the dirty glass. 

She couldn't even remember how long it'd been since she'd been taken from the PC Gallery. Her perception of time was muddled, and not matter how hard she tried, Elizabeth couldn't get back the lost hours when Jeremy had given her the drug injections. 

Rubbing her hand over her arm, Elizabeth looked down at the egg-shaped bruise on her bicep. 

A bruise from the needle. 

A shiver erupted through her body as Elizabeth settled down into the bed. Her fingers absently brushed over the bruise as her eyes slowly closed. 

A noise outside jerked her eyes open and Elizabeth sat up in bed, disoriented. The light was still brightly shining above her bed, but a look at the clock on the nightstand told her that nearly an hour had passed. 

"Jason will never find me here," Elizabeth whispered, hugging herself with her arms. "He'll never know where to start looking." 

Her eyes drifted to the door and she sat still, listening to the noises coming from the house as her mind thought up a plan. 

The house was still as Elizabeth slowly slid off the bed, her feet lightly tapping the floor. She froze for a second, the sound seeming much louder in the silence than it really was. 

The stairs creaked under her feet and she eased down the stairs and Elizabeth frowned. She hadn't noticed any creaking before. Downstairs, the cabin was even more quiet and if she listened carefully, she could hear the faint sounds of Jeremy's breathing on the couch. 

Elizabeth's eyes scanned around the room as she stepped carefully around the couch. Jeremy's foot was hanging off the edge and she nearly tripped on it, catching herself before she went tumbling to the ground. Her heart stopped for a second and she froze, waiting to see if he'd wake up. 

When she was convinced that he was still sleeping, she began moving again, creeping around as she made her way towards her destination. 

The telephone. 

The low hum of the motorcycle slowly came to a stop as Jason kicked on the kickstand, putting it into place. He sat still on his bike for a moment, letting the faint wind blow against his face as he closed his eyes. 

Climbing off the bike, he slowly made his way towards the bridge, the ground crunching under his feet. 

The bridge held so many memories for him. Thoughts of Robin… their first meeting, their goodbye. He thought of Michael and how he came to the bridge after the little boy had been kidnapped by Tony. 

Kidnapped… 

But most of all, the bridge reminded him of Elizabeth. If he closed his eyes, he could remember exactly what had been said on the bridge the night he'd found her waiting for him in the alley behind Jake's. He knew she had been wearing a red shirt that night, and that her hair had been short, just barely brushing by her chin, but no matter how hard he tried, his mind couldn't form an image of her that night inside his head. 

He heard her words though, loud and clear. 

_"What do you like?"_

_"I don't understand…"_

_"Painting, ice cream, going fast?"_

He knew that she had smiled when he said that and for the first time, a picture of her came into his mind, her smile lighting up her face as the wind blew a piece of her short hair into her face. 

_"Going fast."_

Sighing, Jason quickly walked back toward his bike. He climbed on, ignoring the helmet that sat secured to the back seat. 

Elizabeth's helmet. 

He revved up the bike as loud as he could before looking up towards the sky. 

"This is for you, Elizabeth." 

And he sped off, getting lost in the roar of the bike, never once hearing the ringing that came from the cell phone in his pocket. 

He had taken the Cliff Road back to town, riding the turns as fast as he could. The wind roared in his ear, keeping him from hearing anything and everything else, but it didn't feel right. 

It felt empty without her. 

She wasn't behind him to squeeze him extra tight when he turned tight curves and she wasn't there to yell into the wind when he sped up. He felt the wind on his back instead of her warmth and it didn't feel right. 

Jason slowed the bike as he wheeled it into the garage of the Penthouses. 

He walked up to the Penthouse, opting not to take the elevator. His legs were tired and the muscles burned as he climbed the stairs but he ignored it all, finally making it to Sonny's door. 

"Boy is he mad at you," Johnny muttered as he opened the door to Penthouse Four, granting Jason access. The second Jason stepped through the doorway, Sonny pounced. 

"Where have you been? Why haven't you been answering your phone?" 

Heaving a sigh, Jason rubbed his hands over his face. "I took a ride." 

Sonny shook his head slowly, waiting for Jason to explain more. When the younger man said nothing, he sighed heavily, dropping his arms to his sides. "Jesus Jason, what if we had found something and couldn't get a hold of you? It's nearly two in the morning. What were you doing riding out so late?" 

Jason's shoulders sagged slightly as he leaned against Sonny's desk. "What does it matter? I know you didn't find anything because if you had, you wouldn't be standing here lecturing me." 

Sighing, Sonny ran his hands through his hair. "Go to bed, Jason. Take one of the guestrooms… you can keep functioning on no sleep." 

"I slept this afternoon." 

"Resting your eyes for ten minutes doesn't constitute sleep," Sonny countered. 

Shaking his head, Jason rubbed his hands over his face. The cell phone in his right coat pocket rang and he slowly moved to answer it. 

"Ignore it," Sonny said, walking towards the stairs. "Whoever it is can wait until morning. Anyways… it's not like you don't have practice ignoring calls tonight since you ignored all of mine." 

Ignoring his friend, Jason held the phone in front of him. The number on the LCD pad was unrecognizable to him and he frowned. Only a select few had his cell number. 

He motioned to Sonny as he cautiously put the phone to his ear. The older man stepped down from the stairs, moving closer towards Jason. 

"Who is it?" Sonny whispered. 

Jason shook his head, clicking his phone on. "Hello?" 

There was silence on the other end and Jason's frown deepened. "Who is this?" 

"…Jason?" 

The one word was soft and barely audible but Jason recognized it immediately. "Elizabeth?!" 

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Sonny's head jerk up in surprise. "Elizabeth… talk to me. Where are you?" 

"Jason, I'm scared." 

His heart broke for her at the sound of her hushed whispers. He could hear the slight waver in her voice and he knew she was doing everything she could to be strong. 

"I need for you to tell me where you are… do you know?" 

She paused for a second and for a moment, he thought he had lost her. "In a cabin… surrounded by woods… in Rochester." Her voice took on a more frantic tone as he breathing labored slightly. "Jason, he's crazy… Jeremy… I had art class with him. He thinks he loves me…" 

Jason closed his eyes. "Elizabeth, we know all about that… there's more." 

It was faint, but he heard her breathing catch for a second. "What do you mean?" 

He took a deep breath. "Jeremy Barker… His real name is Thomas Jeremy Baker, Jr." 

Jason held his breath waiting for her response. He heard the phone drop on her side and a muffling sound. "Elizabeth?" 

He could hear a voice, and although he couldn't understand what was being said, he knew it wasn't good. His hand clenched tighter around his cell phone. 

"Elizabeth!" 

He heard a scream and the line went dead. Jason's eyes bore into Sonny's as he clicked off his phone, his grip tightening to the point where his knuckles turned white. 

"We need to get to Rochester and we need to get there now." 

[Chapter Twenty-Nine][1]   
[Home][2]

   [1]: http://www.geocities.com/pallas_goddess/freedom/29.html
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	29. Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Twenty-Nine

"What do you think you're doing?!" 

Jerking around, Elizabeth dropped the phone as she stared wide-eyed at Jeremy. "Tom…" she whispered. 

Jeremy's eyes narrowed. "What did you say? Who are you talking to?" 

He took a step towards her and Elizabeth backed away, kicking the phone with her foot. "Don't touch me!" 

For a moment, Jeremy stopped, his head tilting to the side as he looked at her. "What's wrong with you, Eliza? Come here!" 

He resumed moving towards her and she backed up even more, her eyes wide and wild with fear. Her back hit the wall and her breathing labored as fear cut into her stomach. "Don't… please… don't." 

Jeremy exhaled forcefully. "What's WRONG with you?!" He reached for her, jerking her up off the floor. Elizabeth screamed and pulled back, falling as she kicked out at him with her foot. Her hand caught the cord of the phone as she fell, yanking the line out of the wall. Shaking, she pulled the cord, her fear making her movements sloppy as she tried to untangle her hand. 

In front of her, Jeremy held his kneecap with his hands, his eyes widened as he watched her struggle. "You kicked me." There was shock in his voice as he stood, shaking his leg out slightly. He stood, once more advancing on her. 

As Elizabeth backed up, images of Valentine's day in the snow flashed across her mind. "No… please…" 

Jeremy's eyes narrowed as his face contorted with anger. "You KICKED me!" 

He grabbed for her arm, ignoring her pleas as she shook in his hold. He pushed her back, her body crashing into the wall. Elizabeth's head jerked back, slapping against the wall. She groaned, curling up as he let her fall to the floor. 

"What were you thinking, Eliza?!" He yelled, reaching for her once more. He pulled her to her feet, easily overpowering her. With the back of his right hand, he slapped her across the face, her head jerking to the side. 

"You DON'T kick me!" 

Falling against the couch, Elizabeth struggled to catch her breath and get away from Jeremy at the same time. She coughed, tasting the metallic taste of blood in her mouth. 

"You're going to pay for that," he growled as he stepped towards he. He reached for her hair, pulling her up. Dragging her to the closet to the side of the living room, he threw her inside, slamming the door closed. 

Gasping for breath, Elizabeth curled up on the floor, listening as a key turned in the lock, trapping her inside. 

Taggert rubbed his hands over his face as stepped out of the Rochester Police Station. 

"What are we doing, Lieutenant?" 

Looking over at Detective Barton, one of the men he'd brought with him from Port Charles, Taggert sighed. "They spotted Webber and the man at a hotel. They've got it surrounded but I have a feeling that it's going to turn into nothing. We'll check it out though." 

Barton's eyes darted around as the two moved towards the rental car. "You think they're gone?" 

"He's probably moved her by now." 

"Sir… are you sure that she's even there by force?" 

Taggert sighed, looking out of the window as the car started moving. "Johnson mentioned seeing bruises… and Elizabeth isn't the type of girl who's run off with some strange guy." 

"Do we have any idea who this man is?" 

"Jeremy Barker is his name. Other than that, we can't find anymore information on him." 

Barton's eyebrows raised. "Isn't that kind of odd." 

Taggert's jaw clenched slightly. "I've got men on it back at home." 

Picking up the file that sat on the backseat, Barton's eyes scanned over the writing. "What about Lucky Spencer?" 

Closing his eyes, Taggert tiredly leaned his head back on the headrest. "What about him?" 

"You said he brushed you as being… off in your notes here." 

"His girlfriend was just kidnapped… I'm guessing he seemed off because of Elizabeth's disappearance." 

Barton looked over at Taggert out of the corner of his eye. "What's going on with you? You tired man?" 

Taggert sighed. "I don't know… exhausted is more like it. I think I'm getting sick or something." 

"Why don't you go back to the hotel. Me and the rest of the men can check out the Barker lead. Get some dinner and then get some rest." 

Taggert didn't argue much. The car pulled over and he hopped out, opting to walk back to the hotel. 

As Taggert watched the rental car speed away, his ear picked up on the sound of someone nearby talking. The cop inside him kept one ear listening as he made his way back to the hotel. 

"…Jeremy Barker needs another order of Chlorzoxazone…." 

Taggert's head jerked up and he whirled around, narrowing his eyes at the man crouched over himself on a nearby bench. The man was twirling a dandelion in his hand as he balanced a cell phone between his ear and shoulder. 

"…Nah… he's not there anymore. He's staying at the Baker cabin over on Long Road. Yeah, the one in the woods." 

Taggert's eyes widened slightly as he strained to hear the rest. 

"I don't know what the hell he wants it for, but he wants it. He's got some girl with him but I don't know the detail about that." 

Turning on his heel, Taggert ran down the sidewalk, ignoring the cries of the other pedestrians. 

It looked like his nap was going to have to wait. 

[Chapter Thirty][1]   
[Home][2]

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	30. Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty

Jason tried sitting. 

His leg bounced up and down rabidly and he bit on the skin of his fingers. Nervousness was never something he had problems controlling. In fact, it was never something he usually had to deal with. His emotions were always in control. 

Except for now. 

The seatbelt light in the front of Sonny's private jet flickered off and Jason ripped the belt off, pushing himself off the seat. From his spot on the couch, Sonny watched curiously as Jason stood. It wasn't everyday his friend acted like this, and Sonny had a front row seat. 

"Why don't you sit down. There's nothing you can do until we land." 

Jason glared but Sonny knew not to take offense to it. "I can't." 

Suppressing a smirk, Sonny shook his head. "You were just sitting a minute ago." 

"Leave me alone." 

Jason tried pacing. 

His motorcycle boots slapped against the floor as he walked to one end of the plane, turned on the ball of his foot, and made the trek down to the other end. Sonny's head followed Jason's movements. 

"You're making me dizzy." 

Jason fixed another glare onto his friend. "Then don't watch." 

"Have a drink, Jason. Anything to keep you calm." 

"I don't want a drink, I want Elizabeth." 

Sonny sighed, running his hands through his short, dark hair. "And we'll get her, once we get to Rochester. This Barker kid, or Baker, or whatever… he's stupid. Benny found a paper trail and we've got an address." 

"What if it's not the right address?" 

One of Sonny's eyebrows raised. "That's the second time since Elizabeth's been taken that you've asked me a 'what if' question. That's not like you, Jase." 

Exhaling forcefully, Jason ran his hands over his face as he took a seat in front of Sonny. "I never understood before why people would ask, 'what if this, or what if that.' Elizabeth used to do it all the time and I'd tell her that she can't change the past. But now…" 

Jason rubbed his eyes before looking over at Sonny. "I'd give anything to change that day. Elizabeth was with me that morning, before she was taken. I told her I had to go to the warehouse to check on the shipment and she said she was going to go to her studio, do some things. She was in my arms that morning… Damn, Sonny, why didn't I just keep her there? Why didn't I just keep holding her?" 

Sonny sighed, leaning forward so that his elbows rested against his knees. "You used to tell me that things happen and you have to deal with them, not think about how you could have prevented it. That's what you need to do now, Jase… That's what Elizabeth needs you to do." 

Jason's eyes glazed as he looked out the window. "He's got her trapped in some cabin, Sonny. He's the son of her rapist and he's got her trapped. He could be doing anything to her, and she's so small…" 

"Don't think about that," Sonny said forcefully. "You need to think straight and if you think about that, you'll just be hurting yourself. We'll find Elizabeth, and then we'll help her if she needs it." 

"Do you remember the night of the fire," Jason asked quietly. "She was standing in front of us and Taggert handed her something…" 

"Lucky's subway token." 

Jason nodded. "She fell, Sonny… and you had to catch her. You remember?" When Sonny nodded, Jason continued. "You saw her… she was broken that night. I didn't even know her that well, but if you hadn't caught her, I wouldn't have because I didn't know what to do… She can't be broken again, Sonny." 

"Jason, she'll be ok." 

"She once told me that when you break a bone, that when it heals, it gets stronger. I don't know what happens if you brake that same bone again. Is it weak? Doesn't it get even stronger… I don't want to know." 

When Jason looked back at Sonny, Sonny saw tears in the younger man's eyes. "She's strong, Jason. She got through the rape, the fire… She's gone through so much and she's still standing. She'll make it through this." 

Jason sighed. "But how much can one person go through before they can't stand anymore?" 

Sonny shook his head. "I don't know. But if she falls… If she falls, Jason, this time you'll be there to catch her." 

Elizabeth groaned as light suddenly flooded the darkness she was in. She squeezed her eyes shut against the blinding light, willing it to go away. The hammering in her head increased and she lifted her head up to massage her temples, wincing at the pain that laced up her arm. 

Through the bright light, she could see Jeremy's shadow as he leaned over, picking her up off the closet floor. 

Elizabeth groaned, trying to push him away but he had a tight hold on her. 

"I didn't want to hurt you, Eliza," Jeremy murmured as she set her down on the couch. He reached to his side, dipping a cloth into warm water and squeezing it out before dabbing it against her lip. "You made me so mad, Eliza. I had to do it." 

Moaning, Elizabeth jerked her head to the side, away from his touch. She felt Jeremy tense next to her as he grasped her head tightly, keeping it in place while he tried to wash the blood off her lips. 

"Why did you kick me, Eliza? You don't kick people you love." 

Elizabeth backed away from him, pushing herself into the corner of the couch. "I don't love you," she said, her voice quiet, hard, and surprisingly calm. "I will NEVER love you." 

Jeremy stopped moving and Elizabeth took that opportunity to climb over the armrest of the couch and stand on her feet. She swayed slightly, but she held her ground. "In fact, I hate you… you make me sick just by standing in the same room with you." 

Jeremy's eyebrows furrowed. "I don't understand…" 

"Tom Baker? You're Tom Baker's son?" 

His eyes widened. "Eliza. Who told you that? Who told you?!" 

She could see him getting angry but she didn't care. Taking a step backwards, Elizabeth continued, her voice getting louder with every word she spoke. "You're father's a rapist." 

"Stop it, Eliza! Stop!" 

"He's in prison because he's a blackmailer." 

"STOP!" 

Elizabeth's eyes narrowed. "He deserves nothing less than to rot in jail for the rest of his life… and I hope you join him." 

Something inside of Jeremy snapped, and Elizabeth saw the exact moment that it happened. His eyes took on a wild look, darkening to the point where they looked black. He laughed himself around the couch, throwing his body on top of her as he tackled her to the ground. It happened so fast that she had no time to react and she gasped as her head came in contact with the floor. 

"I AM NOTHING LIKE MY FATHER!" he screamed, gripping her shoulder. "NOTHING!" 

Elizabeth struggled against his hold. "You're exactly like him! And I hate you as much as I hate him." 

Jeremy drew his hand back, slapping her across the face. "You DON'T hate me! YOU LOVE ME!" 

"I HATE YOU!" 

"Shut up!" Pulling away from her, Jeremy ran over to his bag as Elizabeth pulled herself off the floor. She gasped when he turned around, a gun in his hand. 

"You don't hate me," Jeremy said, his hands shaking as he raised the gun towards her. "Why do you have to be so mean, Eliza? You love me…. You aren't supposed to be mean." 

Shaking, Elizabeth took a step backwards. 

"DON'T MOVE!" Jeremy's voice wavered as he shook the gun in her direction. "You were mean, Eliza… you need a punishment." 

Elizabeth stared at him in disbelief. "You're crazy," she whispered. 

Jeremy's eyes widened slightly and he glared at her. "Don't call me crazy! I told you not to! I'm NOT crazy!" He threw the gun down, letting it slide across the floor and he lunged for her, pushing her into the kitchen area. 

"DON'T CALL ME CRAZY!" 

Elizabeth pushed him off of her, crawling away from him. Her ankle burned in pain and she winced as the pain shot up her leg. 

"You need help, Jeremy. Something's not right." 

"What isn't right is that you haven't gotten your punishment for being mean." He pulled open one of the kitchen drawers, pulling out a knife. 

Elizabeth's eyes widened as she saw the blade shimmer and she tried to pull herself onto her feet. Her ankle gave out under her and she fell back to the floor. Tears burned her eyes as she watched him advance. 

Dragging herself across the floor, Elizabeth threw the table chairs in his way, desperately trying to keep him away. As she reached back for something to throw, her hand came in contact with the cold steel of the gun he'd discarded. Her small fist closed around it as she watched him come closer, raising the knife up. 

"You need your punishment, Eliza! You can't go unpunished." 

"Stay away from me!" Elizabeth tried to raise the gun but her arm protested, pain shooting up into her shoulder. She gritted her teeth together, tears falling as she watched him come closer. "Stay away!" 

"You can't be mean, Eliza! You can't!" 

Her ears felt like they had cotton in them as she watched him pull the knife up again. She could see his mouth moving, but she couldn't understand what he was saying. The blood was rushing through her ear, blocking everything out. 

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the front door open and she could see people coming inside. Her eyes focused on Jeremy watching, as if in slow motion, as his hand, and the knife, came down towards her. Gritting her teeth, she ignored the pain in her arm as she lifted the gun, aiming it in his direction. 

She heard screams and she wasn't sure if they were her own, Jeremy's, or someone else's. She saw the blade of the knife shimmer as it came down towards her. 

And then the gun went off. 

[Chapter Thirty-One][1]   
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	31. Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-One

The gunshot thrust the room into instant silence. The first thing Elizabeth noticed was that something had splattered onto her face. 

Blood. 

The second thing she noticed was that it wasn't her blood. Her eyes widened slightly and her hand shook as a realization of what just happened came over her. The gun slipped from her fingers, colliding loudly with the flood. 

At the sound of the gun against the hardwood floor, the room went back into motion. At the door, Jason pushed past Taggert, calling out to the girl who sat stunned on the floor. Sonny followed, his pace slower as he watched the unfolding scene. Taggert moved towards the body that lay a few feet in front of Elizabeth. 

"Elizabeth!" 

Jason rushed towards her, sidestepping fallen chairs and miscellaneous objects. She hadn't moved, hadn't even acknowledged him calling to her, and that made him worry. 

He came to a sliding stop next to her, his hand reaching out to touch her. He hesitated for a moment, his mind wondering what she had been put through and if she would flinch away from his touch. The last thing he wanted to do was to make her uncomfortable. 

"Elizabeth?" he tried again, his hand hovering over her shoulder. He saw the rips in her shirt and the bruises on her arms and he fought with everything inside himself not to make Jeremy Barker's body unrecognizable. 

Slowly, Elizabeth's head turned towards Jason and all thoughts of Jeremy left his mind when he saw the tears that filled her blue orbs. His heart broke for her and he gently placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Elizabeth looked down at where his hand rested, a tear trickling down her cheek. 

"Jason?" 

She had whispered his name so softly that he'd almost missed it. Almost. 

"I'm right here, Elizabeth." His hand slid up her shoulder to cup her cheek, making her look up at him again, her eyes meeting his. 

"Are you real? Or am I dreaming?" Her eyes skirted over to where Jeremy was but Jason turned her head back towards him. "I'm going to wake up and be at Jake's with you, right? This is all just one big dream… right, Jason?" 

Jason felt tears come to his eyes as he listened to her shaky voice. He didn't know what to say. 

"Elizabeth." 

Glaring, Jason looked up at Taggert, unconsciously moving a little closer towards Elizabeth. He felt her lean into him slightly and he reached for her hand, never taking his eyes off the Lieutenant. Jason's large hand engulfed her small one, giving her a small squeeze as Taggert knelt in front of the two. 

Taggert's voice was soothing and calm when he spoke. "Elizabeth? Elizabeth, are you ok?" 

Jason glared at the man. "What do you think? She's in shock." 

"Listen, Morgan, you're lucky I'm letting you anywhere near her right now. This IS a crime scene, you and Corinthos shouldn't even be here. If fact-" 

"Did I kill him?" 

Both men turned quickly, their eyes falling on Elizabeth at her softly spoken words. Her eyes met Jason's for a second before she turned her attention to Taggert, tears threatening to overflow. "I…I don't want to be a murderer." 

Jason brushed back some of her hair. "Elizabeth…" 

"He kept hitting me, and he was yelling… and the knife… I… I didn't know what to do…" 

Taggert reached out to her, stopping when he caught sight of Jason's glare. "Elizabeth, you didn't kill him… you hit him in the thigh. You immobilized him." 

Tears moistened her face. "I wasn't-" 

"It was self defense," Taggert said, his voice holding a tint of finality. "I saw it, Morgan and Corinthos saw it… There's no question that it was self defense." 

Elizabeth started shaking. "I don't want to go to jail." 

Taggert gave her a small smile. "Elizabeth, you're not going to jail. I do need to ask you a few questions, and I think it'd be best if you go to the hospital and get checked out." 

Elizabeth nodded, some of the wildness leaving her eyes. She turned towards Jason, Taggert's presence forgotten. 

"Jason, I was so scared." 

Taking a deep breath, Jason wrapped his arms around her, feeling her burrow into his chest. "It's over now…" He bit the inside of his cheek when he heard Elizabeth sobbing against his shirt. "It's over…" 

"I was trying so hard to be strong," she said, her voice muffled slightly by his chest. "But I was scared." 

Jason ran his hands through her hair. "Shh… you don't have to be strong anymore." 

"Don't let go, Jason… Please don't let go." 

Jason squeezed her tighter. "I don't plan to." 

"Sonny?!" 

Carly's eyes scanned around the living room of the Penthouse. She quickly made her way towards the bottom of the stairs and called out. "Sonny! Where are you?" 

Her eyes drifted towards the kitchen and a smile came to her face. "Are you cooking for me?" she called out. "I know you hate it when I sleep over at Deception, but there's just so much to do with the new add campaign and everything." 

Carly stepped into the kitchen and frowned. There was no pasta boiling on the stove, there was no garlic break baking in the oven, and most importantly, there was no Sonny. 

Frowning, Carly stormed out of the kitchen. She walked over to the door, yanking it open. "Johnny, where the Hell is my husband?" 

Johnny's eyes darted around the inside of the Penthouse. "He had to go out of town for business." 

Carly's eyes narrowed. "Business? Coffee business, or business I can't know about." 

Johnny cleared his throat, knowing that it would be bad to tell Mrs. Corinthos that Sonny was out with Jason looking for Miss Webber. "I wasn't given specifics. He did leave you a note though, on the top of the dining room table." 

Carly nodded, her eyes already moving towards the table, landing on the small piece of paper taped to the corner. "Do you know when he'll be back?" 

Johnny shook his head. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Corinthos. I seem to be out of the loop." 

Carly sighed, frustrated, as she pulled the note off of the table. She faintly heard Johnny closed the door as she read. 

Carly- 

Have important business to deal with. Be back soon. 

-Sonny 

"So do I, Johnny," she muttered. "So do I." 

Elizabeth shivered as the doctor placed his stethoscope on her back, listening to her lungs as she breathed. He was a nice man, elderly, but his hand were freezing. 

Jason had held her the entire way to the hospital until he had finally been forced to let her go into the examination room by herself – he wasn't family therefore he wasn't allowed in. She had heard him arguing with the nurses, even while the exam room door was being closed. 

"I'm all done, Elizabeth," the doctor said, putting the stethoscope around his neck. "You've got some really bad bruises that with take some time to heal, and a slight concussion, but other than that, you seem fine. You'll need to rest to give yourself time to heal. We found a little trace of the muscle relaxant the young man forced upon you but nothing harmful. You're a very lucky young lady." 

Elizabeth nodded and muttered her thanks. "Does that mean I can go home?" 

The doctor nodded, giving her a warm smile. "I'm not going to force you to stay here, although I probably should. After all you've been through, you deserve to go home right away. I think the Lieutenant wants to talk to you however. Him and the other two men you can in with are in the waiting room down the hall." 

Elizabeth watched the doctor leave, waiting until the door was completely closed before moving to put her clothes back on. Her shirt was ripped from all the wear and tear it'd been through, from the kidnapping to her fights with Jeremy, but she had nothing else. She felt dirty being in the same clothes for so long and she couldn't wait to get home, shower, and change. 

Before walking out of the room, Elizabeth stood in front of the small mirror, studying her face. For a moment, her features softened and she could see the vulnerability in her eyes. Just as quickly as it came, it went away, and she took a deep breath. 

She needed to show everyone that she was fine. That everything was fine. That everything would be fine. Because she was fine. 

Slipping out of the door, Elizabeth walked down the hall towards the waiting room. The second Jason caught sight of her, he smiled, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly, just for her eyes to see. He stood, reaching his hand out for her. Elizabeth closed the distance between them and clasped her hand with his, their fingers intertwining. 

"Are you ok, Elizabeth?" Sonny asked, taking a sip of the coffee he held in his hand. 

Elizabeth nodded, taking a deep breath. "Some bruises, but the doctor said that will heal. He said I have a slight concussion but nothing too serious." 

Sonny smiled, flashing his dimples at her. "Glad to hear it. So you're going to be ok?" 

Elizabeth stiffened slightly. "I'm fine." 

Out of the corner of his eye, Jason watched her. He knew she was lying and he knew why. He could tell that she wanted to relieve everyone's fears by acting like she was ok when she really wasn't. 

She was pretending. 

He wanted to let her know that she didn't have to pretend, but he knew she would keep pretending as long as Sonny and Taggert were there, so he kept his mouth shut. He'd take her out for a ride when they got back and he'd remind her that she doesn't have to pretend. 

"I need to ask you a few questions, Elizabeth," Taggert said, stepping forward. He had been watching her interaction with both Sonny and Jason and he didn't like it. He bit his lip though. She'd been through enough – the last thing she needed was a lecture on the dangers of Corinthos and Morgan. That could wait for another day. 

"I need to know what happened." 

Elizabeth took in a shaky breath. She felt Jason tightened his grip on her hand and she leaned towards him slightly as she opened her mouth to speak. 

"I'd like to know what happened too." 

All three people turned towards the elevator, each of them having different reactions to the sight of the person in front of them. Taggert rolled his eyes, Sonny shook his head, Jason stiffened, his free hand clenching by his side, and Elizabeth froze. 

Lucky's eyes zoned in on Jason and Elizabeth's hands. The hand that were clasped together. His eyes moved up to lock with Elizabeth's. 

"What happened, and what can I do to make it better?" 

[Chapter Thirty-Two][1]   
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	32. Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Two

"Elizabeth?" 

Elizabeth stared at Lucky incredulously. "Lucky, what are you doing here?" 

Glaring at Jason, Lucky stepped towards Elizabeth, taking in the visible bruises on her body. "My God, Elizabeth… what has he done to you? He's a monster. How can you be standing next to him when he hurt you like this? How can you be holding his hand?" 

Lucky turned towards Taggert angrily. "Why haven't you arrested Jason for what he's done to Elizabeth?!" 

Taggert sighed. The last thing he wanted to do was to defend Jason Morgan… "Lucky, you've got it wrong." 

Lucky's eyes blazed. "You're right, I do. Because I thought that the police were supposed to HELP people and put criminals away. Yet you still let Jason near Elizabeth, even after he put those bruises on her." 

Elizabeth's eyes narrowed and Jason felt her stiffen next to him. He put his hand on her shoulder, trying to hold her back. "Jason didn't do this to me," she spat out, glaring at Lucky. "Jason would NEVER lay his hands on me like that." 

Jason pulled on her slightly. "Elizabeth, you don't have to do this." 

"No… He needs to hear this." She turned her attention back to Lucky. "You keep telling me that Jason is going to hurt me, and that Jason is just using me. Well he's not. He's NEVER hurt me. In fact, he's the one who makes it better when I AM hurt. And he's not using me either. Jason came all this way to find me." 

"Jason's the one who hurt you?" 

Elizabeth sighed, throwing her hands up. Jason pulled on her arm, trying to get her to sit down. "Elizabeth, you're going to make yourself sick if you don't calm down. You don't have to defend me to him." 

"You would say that," Lucky spat out. "Stop trying to make yourself look good, Jason. Elizabeth will see what you are and she'll realized that I'm the one she loves. That I'm all she needs and she'll walk away from you and never look back." 

Elizabeth's jaw dropped. "Is that why you're here? Because you think coming here will make me fall in love with you again? That it'll make all of our problems just disappear?" 

Lucky stepped closer and tried to grasp her hand but she pulled it out of his reach. "I just want to make you happy again. Remember when we were happy?" 

Sighing, Elizabeth ran her fingers through her hair. "That was a long time ago, Lucky. A lot has changed. WE'VE changed." 

"We haven't changed that much, Elizabeth. If you'd see how much Jason is clouding your vision, you'd see that we are the same people who fell in love… and that we can get back to where we were before." 

Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth looked around. While Jason stood next to her, refusing to move, Sonny and Taggert had discretely moved away, giving her and Lucky space. Her eyes caught Jason's for a second before turning back to Lucky. 

"That's not what I want," she said softly. "I don't want to go back to being that girl." 

"Elizabeth…" 

"And it's time I started doing what I want," she interrupted. "It's time I stop trying to please everyone else because I can't. But what I can do is make myself happy." 

Lucky held out his hand to her, tears in his eyes as he realized that he was truly losing her. "I can make you happy." 

Elizabeth looked down at his proffered hand and sighed. Unconsciously, she squeezed Jason's hand a little tighter. "Not anymore you can't," she whispered. 

His gave crumpled as the tears fell from his eyes. "Elizabeth," he said brokenly, his hand remaining outstretched for a second longer before he pulled it back. "I love you." 

"A part of me will always love you, Lucky… You were my first love. That'll never change. But I'VE changed too much for us to be together anymore." She took a deep breath before turning towards Jason. "Are you ready to go?" 

"You're leaving with him?" Lucky asked. "You're going to walk away from me, and go with him?" 

Elizabeth squeezed Jason's hand as he led her around the couched in the waiting room and towards the elevator. 

"Yes." 

The flight back to Port Charles had been short but exhausting. Elizabeth had slept most of the way and Jason had sat by her, his hand still encircling hers, watching her sleep. 

When they had landed, Taggert had taken Elizabeth to the station to be questioned. Jason had gone with her, eventually being forced to wait outside of the interrogation room while they talked to her. She had been tired afterward, and he'd taken her to Jake's so that she could rest, promising to take her for a ride later after she slept. 

So here he was, in front of General Hospital, with one more thing he needed to do, for himself, before he could help Elizabeth. 

Deal with Jeremy Barker. 

The guard in front of the hospital room had been easy to deal with; a handful of bills had taken care of him. Quietly, Jason looked around the hallway before stepping inside, closing the door behind him. 

Jeremy lay peacefully in the bed, resting comfortably. Jason could see an outline of a brace on his leg when Elizabeth had shot him through the blanket that covered him. He stepped towards the bed, his eyes never leaving Jeremy's form. 

Slipping on his leather gloves, Jason reached forward, his left hand circling Jeremy's throat. As his fingers tightened, Jeremy's eyes snapped open, widening when they saw Jason's cold stare looking back at him. 

"What the hell?" 

Jason tightened the pressure around Jeremy's throat a fraction of an inch and Jeremy's breath caught. "Do not speak," Jason said, his voice deadly and calm. He snatched away the call button for the nurses station that Jeremy had been blinding reaching for and threw it to the ground. 

"Did you think that you could hurt Elizabeth and not suffer for it?" 

Jeremy's eyes were wide as he watched Jason's free hand snake up the IV tube in his arms. 

"Did you think you wouldn't die for touching her?" 

His hand tightened around the IV, pausing for a second as his cold cerulean eyes locked with Jeremy's. "Did you think I wouldn't torture you for what you did to her?" 

Jason's hand yanked on the IV, pulling it of out Jeremy's vein. The tube ripped some of his skin on the way out, blood pouring freely from the wound. 

Jeremy hissed out in pain as his arm throbbed. The pressure on his throat increased slightly and he stiffened, fear lacing through him. 

"You were wrong," Jason said calmly. He took a deep breath, forcing it out loudly between his lips. "You drugged Elizabeth," he said, his voice getting harder. "I think it's time I returned the favor." 

Jeremy's eyes widened as he watched Jason pulled out a syringe from his jacket pocket. He struggled, ignoring the fact that Jason had a tight hold around his neck. 

"No… please…" He wheezed as Jason increased the pressure on his neck. 

Without mercy, Jason inserted the syringe into Jeremy's arm, emptying the contents. His eyes darkened to a deeper shade of blue as he held the man down. 

"This," he said quietly, motioning to the syringe. "This is for the Hell you put Elizabeth through." 

Jeremy's body went through a series of painful spasms as the drug worked its way through is system. His eyes rolled backwards as his entire body felt like it was on fire. He felt Jason lift his hand off his neck but it did nothing to relieve the pressure crushing his throat as the drug closed off his windpipe. 

Reaching out blindly, Jeremy tried to find something, anything, to help him but he came up empty handed. His body felt like a ten ton weight were sitting on top of him, and gasping, he looked over at Jason. 

Even through his pain, the look on Jason's face made him shiver. 

"Nobody hurts Elizabeth like you did and gets away with it." 

Jeremy's eyes widened as his body jerked for the last time, and the last thing he saw, were Jason's cold eyes. 

Jason felt Elizabeth slide off the back of the bike before he even had the kickstand down. She had been unusually quiet during the ride, even when he sped through the curves of the Cliff Road. Elizabeth usually yelled out in excitement when they went riding, and the fact that she had been silent meant that she was hurting. 

A lot. 

Sliding off the bike, Jason watched as she made her way towards the bridge before stopping and walking off into the direction of the ruined estate. He silently followed her through what used to be the estate's gardens, watching as she stopped in front of the statues. 

Her hands slid over the broken statue of the horse. The statue he'd broken. 

"What happened here?" she asked softly. 

Jason stepped up beside her. "When you were gone, I came up here, and the next thing I knew, I was throwing things and… I lost my temper." 

Elizabeth's eyes widened slightly as she moved over to the other statue. "You didn't break the statue of the girl, did you?" 

Following her, Jason watched as she inspected the statue carefully. "No… I was about to but I stopped." 

Elizabeth turned towards him and Jason saw tears in her eyes. "What stopped you?" 

Reaching out for her, Jason ran two of his fingers down her cheek. "You. I thought of that night you asked me if she was smiling or not and… and I knew I couldn't ruin her." 

Grasping Jason's hand in her own, Elizabeth turned back towards the girl, her hand running over the face of the statue. "She's not smiling. She looks so… lost." 

Pulling Jason over to a bench, Elizabeth sat down. "That's kinda how I felt too." 

Jason squeezed her hand as he sat down next to her. He watched her carefully. "Are you ready to talk about it?" 

Elizabeth took a deep breath, closing her eyes. A slight breeze pushed her hair into her face as she felt Jason brush it aside. Opening her eyes, she looked at him. "I thought I was going to die." Her voice caught as she took a deep breath to calm herself. "He was so out of control… and then when I found out he was Tom's son…" Her voice wavered as s eh covered her mouth with her hand. 

Reaching for her, Jason pulled her into his arms as she sobbed. He spoke to her softly, but he didn't tell her that everything would be ok, and he didn't tell her that she would be fine, because that was for her to decide. 

But he told her that she was safe. 

After a few moment, Elizabeth pulled away, her breathing still irregular as she tried to calm herself. Jason watched her carefully, keeping one of his hands on top of hers. 

"I'm sorry," she said, wiping her face with her free hand. "I cried all over your jacket. And it's leather… and wet leather is never a good thing. And-" 

"Shh." Jason reached forward and put one of his fingers over her lips, quieting her. "You don't have to apologize for crying. If you feel like you need to cry, then cry. You've been through a lot these past few days. You don't have to pretend that you're fine because I know you're not." 

Elizabeth nodded. "That's right… I don't have to pretend when I'm with you." She sighed, running her fingers through her hair. "I guess I'm just… just a little overwhelmed right now. When Jeremy had that knife I thought for sure that I was going to die." 

"He can't hurt you now." 

"I know," she said nodding. 

"And Lucky," Jason prodded. "I know that was tough for you. That confrontation at the hospital." 

Elizabeth took a deep breath. "It hurt, having to hurt him. But it also felt right. He thought that we were going to get back together and I needed to make him understand that that's not going to happen." 

"Do you think he realizes that now?" 

Elizabeth sighed. "I hope he does. I don't want to have to keep hurting him. But he needs to understand that things between us are never going back to how they used to be before the fire." 

Elizabeth looked over at Jason and gave him a small smile. Her hand reached up, her fingers tracing his jaw line. Leaning forward, she placed a gentle kiss on his lips. She pulled back slightly, resting her forehead against his. 

"I've had a taste of freedom," she whispered softly. "And I want more." 

Wrapping her arms around him, Elizabeth squeezed him tightly, smiling as he squeezed her back. She rested her chin on his shoulder. 

Pulling her onto his lap, Jason squeezed her tighter as he felt a tear trickle down his cheek. 

He was crying. 

Jason Morgan was crying. 

Elizabeth felt his shoulders shake slightly as he burrowed his head against her neck. Tears flowed freely from her eyes as he rocked them both back and forth. And together, they held each other, bringing each other the comfort they both desperately needed, and wanted more than anything. 

"You're freedom for me, Jason," Elizabeth whispered. "And I'm not letting go. I'm never letting go." 

THE END 

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